16 WINE AND THE ART OF WINE TASTING. 



and means of the laboring classes. The better kinds of these wines 

 may even be blended to form a wine which might be placed among the 

 fine common wines, or third class, and not unworthy of the honor of 

 bottling. 



At the present day the French wine merchants use large quantities 

 of cutting wines imported from Italy, Spain, and Dalmatia. Before the 

 invasion of the phylloxera, their blends were made with the wines of 

 Roussillon, Languedoc, Pyrenees-orientales, Aude, Gard, Tarn, etc., all 

 wines rich in coloring matter and alcohol, solid and heavy-bodied, and 

 at the same time smooth, delicate, and with a characteristic and per- 

 sistent aroma which is very pleasing. 



Here is, for example, a blend or mixture of different wines formerly 

 much in vogue in France: 



Wine of Roussillon 30 litres. 



Wine of Narbonne 60 litres. 



Wine of Cher 30 litres. 



Wine of Poitou, blanc 60 litres. 



Wine of Bourgogne 30 litres. 



Wine of Pique-poule, at 15 per cent 15 litres. 



Total 225 litres. 



A French writer thus justly expresses himself: "After the invasion of 

 France by the phylloxera, commerce drew contributions from all wine- 

 producing regions; science was also brought to its aid; an immense 

 productive movement commenced, not only in France, but in foreign 

 countries, and now wines flow in from all parts, from Spain, Italy, Austria, 

 Greece, the Crimea, and even from Australia; wines of all kinds, which, 

 passing through the skillful hands of our merchants, there receive the 

 official seal, the inimitable touch, which serves them for passport to the 

 wine connoisseurs of the entire world." Further on we read: " In this 

 combination each region plays its role, and helps towards the final result 

 that we desire to obtain; from Italy the blend obtains strength, extract, 

 body; Spain supplies softness and fruitiness; our own wines add 

 piquancy, and economize on the price of production." 



In whatever way the cutting is done, and whatever the combination 

 adopted, the following may be taken in general as the composition of 

 most blends: 



One third wine of Italy; 



One third wine of Spain; 



One third " petits vins " of France, or wine made from dried grapes. 



Cutting wines are then of no little importance to wine growing in 

 France, or rather to the French wine trade; why then, should they not 

 be as important to ours, especially now that the two are in competition? 



Let us then produce cutting wines, but let them be well made and 

 sound. By such wines the Italian wine trade will be benefited as much 

 as is the French now. 



