148 ON THE ALTO-DOURO WINE DISTRICT OF PORTUGAL. 



raw state, tart, rough, and, from their large solid ingredients, probably 

 unwholesome. In this state they would hardly be recognised as Port wine. 

 Before being fit for bottling, they require to be kept at least four years, and 

 to undergo during that time constant manipulations, such as racking, 

 fixing, blending, brandying, &c. All wines are fortified with brandy to a 

 large amount; most of them are mixed with various other vintages of 

 different qualities, in order to bring the whole quantity up to a certain 

 required standard. 



By the law of 1843, every vat of wine must be registered, sampled, and 

 tried by a jury of tasters. That licensed for export to Europe, called wine 

 of the first quality, received a bilhete or pass costing 15 milreis per pipe, or 

 31. 6s. 8d. The export duty was 12 milreis per pipe ; but with the numerous 

 additional imposts, it was swelled to 15 milreis, or M. 8s. 8d., making a 

 total of 61. 15s. The second-class wine intended for America, &c, required 

 no bilhete, and paid only 6d. export duty. In order to evade the high 

 export duty to Europe, some houses shipped wine intended for England 

 first to North America, and reconveyed it from thence to England. The 

 Portuguese Government endeavo'ured in A r ain to check this trade by pur- 

 suing the wines and prosecuting the exporters. The consequence was an 

 important reform, and abandonment of the most obnoxious restrictions in 

 1852. 



The Port-wine trade is now regulated by the law of 1843, and by the 

 decree of the 11th October, 1852, issued by the Duke of Saldanha's 

 ministry without being submitted to the Cortes. By this decree the 

 classification of the wines was reduced from four to two qualities — viz., 

 exportable and non-exportable. The " Commissao Reguladora" was 

 instituted, in the place of the Company, for the purpose of regulating the 

 growth and export of wine. The Company was deprived of all its 

 authority, and was allowed to exist only as a mercantile corporation. 



The first formality required by the law is that of " arrolamento " or 

 enrolment. This is effected by official gangers immediately after the 

 vintage, who register the contents of every vat. The amounts recorded 

 for the years 1859 and 1860 were, 17,353 pipes, and 25,602^ pipes, showing 

 an improvement in the vintage of 1860 of 8,249 pipes. These figures are 

 not, however, to be relied upon, for the "arrolamento" has of late years 

 invariably exceeded the amount really produced, sometimes by 100 per 

 cent. Each farmer has an interest in enrolling a larger amount of wine 

 than he has really grown ; for, if his sample is approved, he will receive a 

 number of " bilhetes" corresponding to the number of pipes which is 

 recorded under his name, which bilhetes have a marketable value. This 

 fraudulent over-statement is effected either by tampering with the gaugers, 

 smuggling in wine from outside the " demarcation," or by removing the 

 same wine at night from one parish to another in order to enrol it twice. 

 To prevent these frauds, a military cordon has had to be drawn round the 

 " demarcation," and the enrolment took place this year on the same day 

 over the whole district. 



