APPETSTDIX. 393 



usually added to it ; it now enters upon a period of development in 

 which different samples of wine from the same vineyard will turn 

 out to be of a totally different character, in the vernacular of the 

 " bodega " being known as " palmas," " palos cortados," and the 

 inferior wines as " entre fines " or middling fine, " bastos," rough 

 or coarse, " redondos," round, and " abocados," mild. These latter 

 are also often described as " single, double, and triple rayas," which 

 grades are indicated by one, two, or three lines chalked upon the 

 butts, these lines representing respectively fii'st, second, and third 

 quality. "While it is possible to note a different character in the 

 different butts of wines immediately after they are racked from 

 the lees, yet it cannot be classified with any degree of certainty 

 until after the third year. Those which are classed as " palmas " 

 usually develop in the course of time into " amontiUado," which, as 

 most grocers know, is a pale, dry wine, possessing a sort of ether- 

 ous flavor. The " palos cortados " in course of time become 

 " olorosos," and are smoother, fuller, and richer in flavor than the 

 " amontillados," and usually darker in color. 



The development and ageing of the flner Jerez wines is usu- 

 ally carried on by a system of blending known as " soleras," which 

 in brief consists of drawing off a portion from each cask of the 

 older wines and replacing this with the same quantity of newer 

 wine of similar character, which soon assimilates with and becomes 

 as good as the older wine ; in short, the old wine " eats up " the 

 new. In this system of building up their stocks lies the chief 

 profit of the bodega proprietors, and it enables them to maintain, 

 for an indefinite period, uniform types of wines, upon which many 

 of them have made a reputation and a fortune. It is only the 

 finer wines, however, that are known as " solera " wines, by far 

 the larger quantity shipped from Jerez being simply wines of va- 

 rious character from three to six years old, blended so as to 

 fairly a-epresent the character of wine ordered. These are 

 frequently branded " Oloroso," " Amontillado," etc., in compli- 

 ance with instructions received with the orders, but are in no 

 way entitled to these designations, which, of course, are given 

 them to make thepi sell; it is the old story of strong competition, 

 with consequent misrepresentation, and the only sure guide a pur- 

 chaser of sherry has, is to deal only with houses that know their 



