IIOCIIIIEIM, STEINBERG, AND JOHANNISBERG. 71 



cut out, and the ground sufTercd to rest for three or four years, 

 well manured, and then replanted. 



Here the vines look very well, having a good healthy color, 

 and are kept clean, no grass being visible. The grapes show 

 signs of ripening. They are all of one kind — the Riesling. There 

 are several varieties of table grapes in the yards and around the 

 walks in the garden, but in the vineyard there are no varieties. 



We were then invited to walk into the cellars, which are under 

 the palace. After going down thirty feet we entered the first 

 cellar, which was lighted in the same manner as that of the Duke 

 previously described, with the exception that it is not round.- 

 The vaults are all about forty feet wide and twenty high, arched 

 with stone. This domain originally belonged to the priests, and 

 was a monastery, but Napoleon drove out the monks and pre- 

 sented their abode to Kellerman, one of his generals. After the 

 deposition of Napoleon the Congress of Vienna presented Prince 

 Metternich with this domain for his services. The deceased and 

 the present prince have spent much in beautifying this truly 

 royal domain. 



We tasted many wines, which must be tasted to know their 

 magnificence, for it is beyond the power of description. These 

 wines, like those of the Duke of Nassau, are occasionally sold at 

 public auction, but at such exorbitant prices that we poor repub- 

 licans would shudder as much to drink such costly liquid as if it 

 was molten gold. There is a pardonable rivalry existing between 

 the ofiicers of the Duke of Nassau and those of Prince Metternich. 

 Those of the Duke contend that the Steinberg gives the best wine, 

 whereas those of the Prince say the Johannisberg is better. This 

 divided opinion is held all over the country among the citizens. 

 Both vineyards have the same kind of grape, the Riesling, so it is 

 but the location and the soil which can be in favor of the one or 

 the other. The mode of making the wine is the same, but the 

 grapes are not always picked at the same time ; for instance, Mr. 

 Herzmansky, in 1849, plucked his grapes a week earlier than the 

 master of the cellars of the Duke. During that week some snow 

 fell, which watered the Duke's grapes, and, though he made mag- 

 nificent wine, still it is not considered as good as that of Johannis- 

 berg. This lucky stroke of his superintendent benefited the owner 

 of Johannisberg many thousand guldens. From the first-selected 

 berries they made one barrel of 175 gallons, for which they re- 

 fused 12,000 gulden. The wines are here sold after being four 



