NOTE  ON  SHERRY  WINE.' 
553 
and  which  are  used  in  mixing  with  other  wines,  to  improve 
them.  The  stocks  of  Soleras  are  always  kept  up  in  the  follow- 
ing manner : — 
Say  20  butts,  1841 ;  half  drawn  off  for  use. 
20  butts,  1842  ;  half  thrown  into  1841. 
20  butts,  1843;  half  thrown  into  1842. 
And  so  on  from  year  to  year,  the  younger  wine  being  thrown  on 
to  the  wine  of  the  year  previous. 
"  Notwithstanding  the  quantity  of  spirit  (two  gallons)  used  in 
rearing  wine  (not  Amontillado,  vino  fino,  and  Manzanilla)  it  is 
usual,  when  it  is  made  up  into  sherry  for  England,  to  add  at  the 
time  of  using  it,  from  two  to  four  gallons  more  spirit,  according 
to  the  quality  and  age  of  the  wine.  There  is,  however,  no 
standard  sherry  made  up,  and  no  regulated  quantity  of  spirit 
used,  as  that  depends  both  on  the  character  desired  by  the  pur- 
chaser, and  (a  most  important  consideration)  on  what  the  wine 
itself  requires. 
"  A  butt  of  sherry  for  England  is  made  up  in  40  jars  in  vari- 
ous proportions  ;  thus,  for  example  : — 
1  Jar,  spirit,  about  GO  over  proof. 
8  Jars,  of  the  sweet  wine  or  dulce. 
7  Jars,  soleras,  or  mother  wine. 
10  Jars,  dry  wTine,  1854. 
14  Jars,  dry  wine,  1859. 
40 
"  The  Amontillado  is  entirely  a  chance  wine,  that  is,  it  cannot 
be  made  as  a  matter  of  course,  or  reckoned  upon  with  any  cer- 
tainty, insomuch  as  out  of  50  butts  of  wine  made  at  the  same 
vineyard,  under  the  same  circumstances  and  with  the  same  kind 
of  grapes,  probably  only  two  or  three  will  turn  out  to  be  wine 
of  this  character.  No  reason,  however,  can  be  assigned  for  its 
partaking  of  the  peculiar  flavor,  &c,  of  Montilla  wine,  from 
which  it  derives  its  name. 
"  When  the  wines  are  classified  in  the  spring,  those  which 
