_ _ WILD_ VINES. 19 



that the Lake DweUers of the Bronze Age were tond of 

 grapes! It is estabhshed beyond a doubt b^' Engler's 

 exhaustive researches tliat the wild Vine extended over 

 the whole of Southern and a part of Central Europe 

 before it was introduced there as a cultivated plant. At 

 present the Nine is found flourishing luxuriantl)- in the 

 districts around the Black Sea; and von Steven athrms 

 that localh' in the Crimea uinc is still made from the 

 black, acid berries of the \\ild Vine. A'ictor Mehn de- 

 scribes ill glo\ving terms those fertile districts south of the 

 Caspian Sea where thick-stemmed A'ines climb to the 

 top of the highest trees in the heart of tlie forest, and 

 stretching from branch to branch festoon their siunmits 

 and tempt tlie wanderer with their heav\- bunches of 

 fruit. Engler saw the Vine growing as a thick Liana 

 in the dense woods of Bajukdere near Constantinople. 

 The cultivation of the Nine seems from all appearances 

 to have originated in the ^^^est of Asia Minor, and 

 O. Schrader considers it highh" probable that we owe 

 its introduction to an Indo-European people. 



Among the \\ines of tlie western Riviera those of 

 Massilia were known e\'en in ancient times. "rhe\- were 

 however without iwv special keeping properties and had 

 therefore to be ''smoked". This, according to Eastern 

 and Greek custom, took place in tumigating chambers 

 The process was in realit\' identical \-\ith the present 

 da\' "Pasteurisation". As toda\' we heat tlie wine to at 

 least ()0" C in order to kill the germs and thus 

 increase its keeping properties, so th<? ancients subjected 

 it to the action of hot air. Erom a lower chamber. 



