GRAPE-VINE. 



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always the first sold, and afford the largest profit, whereas 

 inferior wines are rarely disposed of without a loss. It 

 is generally known, that, at the present time, the duty 

 and other incidental charges on foreign wines form the 

 greater part of the price, and that the worst pipe of Port 

 or Madeira pays as much duty as the best : it is therefore 

 a most material part of the business of a wine-merchant 

 to import the best wines from the countries with which 

 he trades. When the vintage proves rather unfavourable, 

 or his importations are deficient in flavour, he pursues a 

 very different course from adulteration : he is obliged to 

 procure the richest wines he can obtain of the same kind 

 to mix with them. This is often done at a great expense, 

 because he has not the means of disposing of inferior 

 wines, even at any price. It is not an uncommon prac- 

 tice to add Burgundy or Hermitage to improve Port wine : 

 this cannot be deemed adulteration. 



The fining of white wines is so simple a process, and 

 attended with so little expense, that there can be no in- 

 ducement to use poisonous drugs, as has been stated by 

 a late publication to be a common practice. It is well 

 known to every housekeeper, that isinglass, dissolved in 

 Hock or Rhenish wine, will fine the most obstinate white 

 wines. It is correctly stated, that tnere are persons who 

 prepare finings for the wine-merchants at a cheap rate ; 

 but as this is publicly sold, any person has an opportunity 

 to analyze it, and ascertain whether it consists of poison- 

 ous drugs : indeed it would have been more honourable 

 to have analyzed the wines of any suspected person, and 

 to have exposed them to the public, were they guilty of 

 so injuring the constitutions of their benefactors. A wine- 

 merchant seldom does more himself to the fining of his 

 wines than to give directions to his cellar-man : were he 

 to use pernicious finings, how often should we hear of 

 his being betrayed by his discharged servants ! 



