SECTION IV.

MODERN WINES THEIR CHARACTER AND QUALITIES.

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The Nature of Modern Wines - Influence of Site and Soil - True
vinous Flavour and distinctive Properties — Alcoholic Strength of Fo-
reign Wines — The Vine-crop precarious — England's last Effort — Im-
ports from France — Early fiscal Imposts Assize of French Wines -
Royal Restriction- Wine of Tyre Legislative Regulations -- Hospi-
tality of the ancient Nobility- Abundance and variety of Foreign Wines
- London in the Olden Time- Civic Governance - Pains and Penalties
- Hippocras and Clarry- Medicated Liqueurs - Sack first imported
- Old Age attainable without any Sickness by the use of Wine-
Popular Passion for Sack- Falstaff's Eulogium on its Properties —
Bottled Wines prohibited — Falling off in the Consumption — First In-
troduction of ardent Spirit; its rapid Progress - Popular Clamour
against Trade with France Excessive Wine-duties - English Sobriety
imperilled Anglo-Saxon Intemperance - Alcohol both nutritious and
restorative- Physiological Effects of Alcohol-Total Abstention inju-
rious-Social Influence of Wine; its sanitary Properties; a Remedy for
nervous Irritability--Counter Influences

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SECTION V.

OF THE WINES OF PORTUGAL.

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PAGE 59

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The Throne of Pomona - Salubrity of the Climate - Blind adhesion
to Custom-Preparations for the Vintage Process of Manufacture
- The Douro District- Imperfect Produce The Methuen Treaty -
English dislike of Port Effect of differential Duties - First Imports
pure and unmixed ·
Factors and Agents - Admixture of Aguardiente
British Commissioners' official Report - Reduced Quality and low
Prices; their Effects - Oporto Wine Company established; its baneful
Policy
The English Consul's Testimony
- Official Wine-conners - Oppressive Export Regulations
required — Portugal white Wines - The Graße Malady

-

Inequitable Trade System

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SECTION VI.

THE WINES OF SPAIN.

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- Reform

97

Its auspicious Climate and superior Vintages - Scanty Means of
Transit and Storeage - The Mountains of Granada Congeniality of
the Soil - Amontillado Sherry; its high Quality and capricious Nature
-Solera Wines - Vineyards of Catalonia and Arragon - Beni Carlos
- Manzanares, Paxerete, Manzanilla, Vino Tinto - Mountain Water-
Reservoirs The Mountains round Malaga - Beauty and Fertility of
the Axarquia - Malaga Grapes and Muscatel Raisins-The Isles of
Majorca and Minorca -The Oidium and its Effects.

-

118

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CONTENTS.

SECTION VII.

THE WINES OF FRANCE.

-

ix

The Vine-grounds of France - Diversity of Soil and Temperature
Introduction of the Vine- Its ready Adaptation and early Fecun-
dity Its Cultivation prohibited by the Romans; the Plants every-
where uprooted-Restoration of the Privilege Vinous Purity of French
Wines Their cheerful Properties - Varieties multifarious — Their
extensive Consumption - English Aversion to the Wines of Portugal —
Political Cabals against novel Imports - French Climate and Soil con-
genial - Increase of Cultivation - Modes of Tillage and Propagation

-

The Vintage Season — Claret; its long-established Celebrity — The
'Mineral Waters' of Carbonnieux - Ottoman Rigour cunningly eluded
- Bordeaux in the Days of Louis XIV. - Medical Virtues of its
Wines - Burgundy; superiority of its vinous Products — Hermitage
- The Recluse of Tain - Origin of the Vineyard - Sweet Wines of
Roussillon-Masdeu-The Wines of Champagne; Care in Manufacture
- Their capricious Nature - Loss from Breakage - Their early Fame
Tribute from Royalty - Vins de Liqueur — Wines of Corsica - The
several Wine-regions of France - The Beaujolais The Bordelais -
Annual Value of the French Vintage -The Grape Malady

SECTION VIII.

THE WINES OF GERMANY AND SWITZERLAND.

PAGE 129

German Aspirations for early Vigneron Fame - Mildness of Climate
- Careful Tillage - The Heidelberg Tun - Rhenish Wines; their
Quality and Character — The Rheingau — Johannisberger Steinberg

-

-

Marcobrunner - Hochheimer — Rüdesheimer - Sparkling Wines of
Scharzhofberg and Josephshofer - Asmannhausen - Liebfrauenmilch-
Bavarian Stein Wine - The Vine in Switzerland - Chiavenna Wine
of the Grisons - Malvasia of Sierre - White Wine of Bex- The Vin
d'Enfer of Salgetsch- Martigny-Schaffhausen-The Wine of Blood'
Canton of Vaud Red Wine of Berne - The Valteline

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SECTION IX.

THE WINES OF ITALY, SARDINIA, AND SICILY.

167

Voluntary Homage to Bacchus - Benignity and Fertility of the
Climate Luxuriant Beauty of the Vegetation - Ignorance and Indo-
lence of the Peasantry - Capabilities of the Soil-Tuscany; its great
Beauty; is the Land of the Vine Ardour of the People - Bacchus
and Ariadne on divine Circuit- His Tribunal at Florence-Bacco in
Toscana His Inebriety and its Effects - Noble Vintners - Italian
Modes of Training - High System of Calabria - Wines of the Papal

--

-

States- Wines of Savoy and Piedmont; their numerous Vineyards -

Kingdom of Naples Lacryma Christi - Profusion of the Sardinian

Plantations Wretched System of Culture Natural Advantages

neglected — Island of Sicily - Abundance neutralized by bad Hus-

bandry Prolific Vineyards of Mount Etna Marsala Wine

Increase of Exports-Elba - The Grape Distemper

.

PAGE 178

SECTION X.

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THE WINES OF HUNGARY, AUSTRIA, AND THE CRIMEA.

Excellence of the Vintages Mr. Dunlop's official Report on Hunga-

rian Produce - Genial Soil and Climate-Varied vinous Character and

Properties-Phosphorus a constant Ingredient-The Tokay Vineyard

Harvest Operations - Process of Manufacture - The Wines pure

and natural-Liqueur and Table Sorts District of Arad - Regal

Munificence — M. de Szèmere — His Testimony and Estimates-Enor-

mous rocky Cellars - Social Habits - Commissioner Douglas' official

Report The Hungarians a primitive People-A Vintage Jubilee

The Banat; its Aspects and Products - Medicated Liqueurs-Austrian

Produce - Dessert Wines of Dalmatia - The Grape Blight - The

Crimea Origin of its Vineyards - Successful Cultivation .

-

SECTION XI.

THE WINES OF SOUTH AFRICA.

195

The ancient Ambrosial Vintages extinct-Lingering Culture in

Morocco and Algiers - The Vine first planted at the Cape by the Dutch

-Favourable Climate and Soil-Its magnificent Vegetation - The

Vineyards of Stellenbosh, Drakenstein, and Paarl — Dutch Avarice

Slovenly Cultivation and Manufacture

Quality of the Vintage — In-

creasing Consumption — Improved Character - Future Prospects —

Island of Madagascar; its fertile and picturesque Scenery -The People

ignorant and superstitious - Hostile to European Civilization

-

-

SECTION XII.

-

217

THE WINES OF MADEIRA AND THE CANARY ISLANDS.

Madeira first colonized - Benignity of the Climate - Its Volcanic

Soils-System of High Training - Malmsey Sercial-New Wines

harsh and fervent - Methods for Amelioration - Artificial Expedients

- The Oïdium — Virulence of the Attack-Remedies unavailing

Estimated Loss - Vine Culture abandoned - The Vineyards replaced
by Sugar Plantations - Renewed Efforts to restore the Grape - The
Canary Islands - Teneriffe - The Azores - Howell's merry Induction

CONTENTS.

SECTION XIII.

THE WINES OF GREECE AND THE WESTERN ARCHIPELAGO.

-

-

xi

Continental Greece; its Aspect, Climate, and Soil- Wines of an-
cient Greece - Its modern Produce - Origin of Pruning - Wines of
Thessaly Athenian Vintage The Morea; its Malmsey Wine - The
Islands of the Archipelago Their ancient Fame - Their Salubrity
and Fertility Cyprus; its large and luscious Grapes; its delicious
Wines - Candia; Abundance and Quality of the Vintage- Candian
Wine-bibbers -Chian Wine Preference of Homer-The Mastica
Plant; its healing Powers-Samos - Cos, Naxos, and the minor Isles
- Valleys of Melanés and Potamia - Isle of Santorin; its Vicissitudes;
its physical Attributes; its external Appearance; its singular Origin
-Sublime volcanic Phenomena; their powerful Effects - Ancient Cal-
liste; peopled by Cadmus; Dominion of Membliares-The second
Colony-Ascendency of Theras, their Leader - Its modern Name
Its majestic Scenery - Its external Appearance — A dangerous Path
Prolific Vineyards - Method of Training at Santorin - Its vinous
Products Vin Santo - Wine of Bacchus - Wine of Night — Grecian
Malmseys-The Ionian Islands Their productive Character
Currant Vine-Difficult of Culture

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SECTION XIV.

The

PAGE 237

THE WINES OF PERSIA, ARABIA, AND THE HOLY LAND.

-

-

-

Persia the native Seat of the Vine Enormous size and richness of
the Grape-Origin of Wine-Imperial Grape of Tauris — Wine of
Shiraz - Principal Vine-districts - Oriental Intemperance - Its bane-
ful Effects Culture of the Vine in Arabia - The Patriarchal Age
A royal Problem - Influence of Wine - Power of Kings - Influence
of Women - Triumph of Truth—The Grapes of Lebanon – Wine of
Palestine-Nuptial Festivals among the Jews - Modern Cana and its
Traditions

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. 271

SECTION XV.

THE WINES OF INDIA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIA.
Ancient Notions of Eastern Opulence - The Hindoo Bacchus
His peaceful Conquests and Apotheosis - Ungenial Soil and Climate -
Asiatic Inebriety - Penalty for Drunkards-Chinese vinous Produce
-A Preference for Animal Spirits - Invention of Wine -Prohibitory
Vintage-duties A Bacchanalian Revel - The Vine in the Eastern
Archipelago Java-Siam-Australia - New South Wales - Beech-
worth Vineyards - Popular Predilection for their Culture - The Vine
in South Australia - Successful Planting - Official Returns of the

Produce Payneham - Fairford - Clarendon Hazlehurst -- Wattle-
ville Drying-ground-Approved Species- Character and Quality of na-
tive Growths- Progress in Australia Felix (Victoria) —–—– Flemington
Gardiner's Creek-

-

Longfield-South Yarra - Brighton.

SECTION XVI.

THE WINES OF COLUMBIA.

PAGE 285

The wild Vines of Ohio - Early Culture in Philadelphia - Success
of Swiss Settlers Extended Planting Mexico; early Introduction
of the Vine - Cuba - American Champagne - South America - Vine-
grounds of Mendoza - Destructive Earthquake-Its calamitous Inci-
dents Grapes of Peru and Chili - Their rich Flavour - Beauty of
the Clusters - American Blight.

--

-

SECTION XVII.

ON THE CHOICE AND PRESERVATION OF WINE.

-

297

Pure Wine grateful and invigorating Correct Judgment a rare
Faculty Taste a true Criterion Inherent Difficulties of Selection
- Explanation of distinctive Terms - Influence of Fashion - Purity
indispensable - Blending, when admissible — Power of vinous En-
durance - Selection of Wines and Management of the Dinner-table-
Vinous Preservation and Maturity - Vintage Characteristics - Cellar
Management - Bottled Wines - Sensitive Nature of Wine - Preserva-
tive Rules Chemical Analyses - Wine regarded as a Medicine Re-
gimen of Hippocrates - Use in modern Practice-Tonic Virtues of Port
-Malt Liquors depressing in certain Cases - Wine efficacious in
Fevers - Opinion of Professor Liebig - Homage of Science

-

APPENDIX.

MODERN WINES ANALYTICALLY CONSIDERED.

-

307

Early Effects of the reformed Wine Duties Novel Imports; their
Character and Quality—Elementary Properties of Wine - Official Wine
Survey - Analysis of the Exhibition Wines - Waning Taste for fervent
Wines Medical Objections to factitious Wines New Standard of
Taste- Diminished Consumption of Port - Novel Theory on alcoholic
Fermentation - Insect Scavengers - Particulars of the Government
Commission: Mr. Bernard on the Wines of Spain and Portugal; Mr.
Ogilvie on the Produce of France; Mr. Douglas on German and
Hungarian Wines; and Mr. Davies on Sicilian and Italian — Average
Strength of the Wines sent to the International Exhibition Alcoholic
Meters French Excise Law

-