CHARACTER OF THE WINE. 35 



since, when as a new article in this country, he gave them as 

 a great treat, some old dry Hock. He said nothing, but 

 looked around expecting to see smacking of lips, and hear 

 exclamations of admiration. But the universal cry was, 

 ' What a pity, Shultz, your cider is sour P 



"At a comparison of domestic wines from our diflferent 

 vineyards, by a dozen of Hock-drinkers, selected for the occa- 

 sion, the gentleman who acted as chief of the judges, was a 

 great admirer of Spanish Manzanilla ; and with a view to test 

 their judgment, I slipped in a bottle of his favorite wine. 

 While his brethren were tasting the wine and expressing their 

 opinions, their leader slowly tasted each bottle, but said not a 

 word until he had tasted the whole. He then remarked that 

 * he should reserve his opinion as to the best, but would 

 promptly decide which was the worst bottle on the table,' 

 and placed his hand on the Manzanilla. I told him I con- 

 curred in his opinion, but he might change his mind when 

 advised that it was his favorite Spanish wine, and from 

 the same cask that he had always pronounced a superior 

 article. 



" A gentleman from an Eastern city, a few evenings since, 

 very gravely and sincerely gave me an instance which took 

 place in his own presence. Their wine club had recently 

 broached a pipe of high-priced wine, with which they were 

 much delighted, until a conspicuous member observed that he 

 detected a slight taste of copper — a brother member admitted 

 a slight peculiar flavor, but insisted that it was leather. The 

 president of the club was referred to, who promptly decided 

 that it was a compound of both copper and leather. The 

 debate waxed warm, and all three had their adherents, when 

 it was decided to draw off the wine from the pipe in the pre- 

 sence of the Society. This was done, and at the bottom, im- 

 mersed in the sediment, was found a small copper key with a 

 short strip of leather attached to it !" Mr. Longworth re- 

 marks : "I presume the Eastern gentleman took it for 



