104 



WIXES OF 



addressed to Messrs. Richard and Sons, who are eminent 

 wine merchants and bankers in Tournon, a town on the 

 opposite side of the Rhone to Tain, and joined to it by a 

 suspension bridge. On receiving this letter, I hired a 

 vehicle to carry myself and my baggage to Tain, which is 

 a small town, situated on the left bank of the Rhone, on 

 the plain which lies immediately between the hill called 

 Hermitage and the river. On presenting my letter, and 

 explaining in general terms the object of my visit, I 

 entered into conversation w^th M. Richard, senior,, relative 

 to the wines of Hermitage. The greatest part of the 

 finest orowth is sent to Bourdeaux to mix with the first 

 growths of Claret. Messrs. Richard are themselves pro- 

 prietors of part of the hill of Hermitage, but not of that 

 part which yields the finest wines. They are also wine 

 merchants, but, like the INIessrs. Durand, of Perpignan, 

 they sell it only on the grand scale. One of the sons who 

 manages this department, conducted me over the cellars. 

 The press is more complete than any I have yet seen; the 

 screw is of iron, and from the closeness of the worm, must 

 be of immense power. It is raised in the centre of a 

 square trough, about seven feet in diameter. The female 

 screw is covered by a horizontal wooden wheel, the spokes 

 of which project over the sides of the trough, and are 

 finished off so as to afford a convenient handle for the 

 workmen. At the height of a foot from the bottom of the 

 trough, on the outside, there is a circular stage projecting 

 from its sides for the workmen when filling the press, and 

 turning the wheel. The sides of the trough only rise to 

 the height of this stage. The grapes, without any pre- 

 vious treading, are built up in the trough to the height 

 of the screw, and when the latter is turned, the must flows 

 from spouts which issue from the bottom of the trough 



