Art. XJII.—On Colonial Wines. By Rev. Joun J. 
BLEASDALE, D.D., F.LS., F.GS. ) 
[Read 13th May, 1867.} 
Mr. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN, 
‘The subject of this paper may be said to belong to the 
primary objects contemplated by this Society—viz., to 
record original investigations in art, scieuce, and literature, 
and I trust it will possess, if not a lively, at least sufficient 
interest to engage your attention for a brief portion of this 
evening. 
Before entering on the subject permit me to say, that I 
hardly think it necessary to offer you an excuse or apology 
for having chosen Colonial Wines for my subject ; but there 
may be others who will read this paper who can know 
absolutely nothing of my fitness for my task save what 
they can glean from the internal evidences that it may 
afford. Neither do I intend to trouble you or any one else 
with an autobiography further than to state, that more than 
a quarter of a century ago I was placed in favourable cir- 
cumstances for acquiring a thorough knowledge of the 
erowth and treatment of the vines and wines of Portugal, 
especially in the vicinity of the capital, and that I made use 
of the opportunity to the best of my ability. 
On my arrival in this colony, now more than sixteen 
years ago, one of the first things that I turned my attention 
to, aS an occupation for the little leisure afforded in the 
intervals of ministerial duty, was to collect what informa- 
tion I could concerning wine-making and vine-culture in 
Victoria and New South Wales. 
Early in 185] I visited the vineyards on the Barrabool 
Hills, and obtained samples of the various kinds of wines at 
that time manufactured. The white was for the most part 
agreeable young wine, partaking of a hock character. The 
red, without any exception, was high coloured, sweetish, and 
adorned with a bouquet that I can liken to nothing I am 
acquanted with. Greater age of the vines, and better treat- 
ment of the wine, have gradually corrected much of this ; 
and of late years I have tasted wine from these same which 
was free from this gout de terrain, and quite good in other 
respects—in fact, really good wine. 
I need not advert to the causes which subsequent to 1851 
