60 CHOICE OF VARIETIES. 



gray, yellow, or greenish berries. These varieties produce 

 not only in the same climate, soil, and exposure, and with the 

 same mode of culture, wines differing in character, but even 

 the wine of each respective variety sometimes varies with dif- 

 ferent circumstances. 



There is no vigneron who is not aware that a certain variety 

 of grape in his vineyard yields the best flavoured wine, the 

 best wine for keeping, or a greater quantity, &c. ; but he is fre- 

 quently at the same time ignorant that there are in other districts, 

 often very near him, varieties with which he is unacquainted, 

 some of which are preferable in certain respects to his own. On 

 this account there have been intelligent men, who after many 

 years residence in different vineyards, have discovered the 

 necessity of making known these choice varieties, and for near- 

 ly half a century, the French writers who have treated on the 

 culture of the vine, and on the art of making wine, have con- 

 tinually solicited the publication of a work which would pro- 

 perly arrange the nomenclature, and the absolute and com- 

 parative value of the respective kinds. 



The ancients were sensible of the inconveniences of planting 

 a great number of varieties together, especially late kinds with 

 early ones, as affecting the quality of the wine; but they con- 

 sidered, with reason, that it was prudent to plant, in separate 

 divisions, three or four varieties of the best quality and of dif- 

 ferent colours; because, on the one hand, if one variety failed, 

 the others would probably succeed; and on the other, they 

 might, by mixing them, obtaia wine of good character and 

 good keeping, they therefore recommended visiting the vine- 

 yards at the period when the grapes are mature, in order to 

 mark such vines as are valueless, and which ought to be 

 dug up in the ensuing winter. 



This is the course pursued by the proprietors who are 

 anxious of preserving the celebrity of their wines, a celebrity 

 which vignerons, when they are not partners in the crops, 

 incline to diminish, because in their endeavours to increase the 

 quantity produced, they plant kinds which yield the most 

 bunches and largest fruit, but which generally afford in north- 



