CHAPTER XIV. 



OF THE MIXTURE OF WINES. 



Do not seek to make artificial wines ; it is a loss of time and money: 

 you cannot imitate nature, or deceive any connoisseur, and most 

 often you will have to reproach yourself with having been the origin 

 of many a dyspepsia, and poisoned old men and invalids. Throw 

 av/ay your recipes for Spanish and Rhenish wines, artificial wines 

 are a deception that may induce immedicable injuries in the sys- 

 tems of their drinkers. 



All wines that depend for their credit on their bouquet, should be 

 preserved pure. But it is the vinedresser's interest to mingle the 

 slightly altered or middling wines with those that are more generous \ 

 it should be a point of honor, however, to acknowledge mixed wines, 

 and not pass them off for those of a known growth or season. 



Sometimes a pure wine has an earthy taste, or a tartness that strikes 

 the palate ; or its colour is so deep as to be disagreeable ; the addition 

 of an inferior white wine, well fermented, and rich of the taste of the 

 fruit, will convert it into an excellent liquor. 



Wines of a bad season may be mixed with those of a good year. If 

 you have white wines disposed to mottle and turn yellow, they may 

 be mixed with very high-colored red wines ; making them more pleas- 

 ant to the taste, and apparently older. 



In the neighbourhood of Bourdeaux they correct the slight ronghnes? 

 of their wines by mixing them before they are racked, with Hermitage 

 wines from the department de la Drome, with those of Cahors, (Lot,) 

 and those of the best vine-grounds of Gard, Herault &e. A very lively 

 fermentation begins between them, and terminates in the complete 

 fusion of both into one, under the name of Medoc. 



I should by the way observe, that all Hermitage wines that have 

 a decided flavour of raspberry are fraudulent wines ; some indeed have 

 said that the red Hermitage has the bouquet of the raspberry ; but this 

 is erroneous, and has given rise to a tliousa.ud devices and impasitious. 



