150 THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 



in most parts. The exposure is southwest, vnth. a slope of 

 fifteen degrees. The grape generally cultivated near the 

 Rhine is the (Riesling,) White Rissling. 



The soil of Leistenwein and Steinwein vineyards, on the 

 Main, is similar, being argillaceous with calcareous portions, 

 especially fragments of hme. The Leistenwein is regarded 

 as the second finest wine of southern Germany ; but, as the 

 quantity made is very small, it is seldom to be purchased. 

 The grapes grown here are mostly the White Rissling and the 

 Traminer. 



The soil of the hill of the Hermitage, where is made the 

 celebrated wine of this name, is variable. Dr. Bushby says 

 the hill is of considerable height, but not of great extent ; the 

 whole front, Avhich looks to the south, may contain three hun- 

 dred acres, and of this, even the middle region does not pro- 

 duce the finest wines. " The gentleman, Avhose property we 

 were traversing, pointed out to me the direction in which a 

 belt of calcareous soil crossed the ordinary granitic soil of the 

 mountain, and he said it requires the grapes of these soils to 

 be mixed, in order to produce the finest quality of Her- 

 mitage." — James Bushhy, London. 



" Between Chagny and Beaune, in France, the plain lying 

 to the southeast of the range of hills, which, from the value of 

 their produce, give the name of Cote d'Or to the department, 

 is extremely rich, and, to all appearance, capable of yielding 

 golden harvests of corn, as the hills do of wine. The greater 

 portion of it, however, was planted with vines on both sides of 

 the road. Near Chagny, it appeared lighter, with a larger 

 admixture of stones, and, on approaching Beaune, it was a 

 rich brown loam." — Ihid. 



" At the vineyard of Chambertin, the soil varies extremely, 

 even in the distance of one hundred yards ; that nearest the 

 road is of a brown loam of sufficient consistency, but full of 

 gravel, and, consequently, very friable. The gravel consists 

 of small broken pieces of the whitish hmestone, of Avhich the 

 hill is partly formed. At the highest limit to Avhich the 



