76 PERPIGNAN AND , 



the wines when 14 or 15 months old, without risk of their 

 turning sour, which could not be done for twelve months 

 more without the admixture ; and it enables the Parisians 

 to mix a portion of water in order to reduce the wine in 

 strength, and thus to save a part of the municipal duty 

 which is levied on wines entering Paris. The latter is, I 

 think, the only valid argument. Being desirous of pro- 

 curing some of the wine of Collioure, Mr. Mas sent a 

 person with me whom he was accustomed to employ in 

 such matters, and after completing my purchase, I went 

 with the proprietor to the vineyard where it was pro- 

 duced, and obtained four varieties of grapes which were 

 not in Mr. Durand's vineyards. This vineyard was on 

 the side of a very steep hill, and appeared to have been 

 planted with great labour ; the terraces did not exceed 

 from eight to ten feet in width, and the walls were from 

 two to three feet in height. He said the annual average 

 from 500 plants was about two charges of wine.. This, 

 according to the distance they were planted, was rather 

 more than double the quantity stated by Mr. Mas ; but 

 it was probably only a guess, although I am inclined to 

 think the estimate of the latter was under the truth. 

 There was, however, no way of coming nearer the true 

 state of the case, for he knew neither the extent of the 

 hectare, nor of the arpent. The wine of Cosperon, which 

 is celebrated as a Vin de Liqueur, is the produce of a farm 

 which was pointed out to me by Mr. Mas, under one of 

 the hills which we passed over. It is, according to his 

 account, nothing more than a mixture of brandy with the 

 unfermented juice of the grape. After the grapes (of the 

 Grenache kind) are very ripe, they are gathered and al- 

 lowed to dry a few days in the sun ; they are then pressed, 

 and the juice is put into a cask, where it is mixed with a 



