Part 5

“Among the white wines of the Gironde which obtained the higher class reward, two require to be especially mentioned. One, the renowned Château d’Yquem of the Marquis de Lur Saluces, the most luscious and delicately aromatic of wines, which, for its resplendent colour, resembling liquid gold, its exquisite bouquet, and rich, delicious flavour, due, according to the chemists, to the presence of Mannite, is regarded in France as unique, and which, at Vienna, naturally met with the recognition of a medal for progress.

“Mannite, the distinguished French chemist Berthelot informs us, has the peculiar quality of not becoming transformed into alcohol and carbonic acid during the process of fermentation. For a tonneau of this splendid wine twelve years old, bought direct from the Château, the Grand Duke Constantine paid, some few years since, 20,000 francs, or £800. The other wine calling for notice was La Tour Blance, one of those magnificent, liqueur-like Sauternes, ranking immediately after Château d’Yquem, and to some fine samples of which, of the vintages of 1864 and 1865, a medal for merit was awarded.

“The characteristic qualities of Château d’Yquem, which certain _soi-disant_ connoisseurs pretend to pooh-pooh, as a mere ordinary _vin de liqueur_, are due, in no degree, to simple accident. On the contrary, the vintaging of this wine is an extremely complicated and delicate affair. In order to insure the excessive softness and rich liqueur character which are its distinguishing qualities, the grapes, naturally excessively sweet and juicy, are allowed to dry on their stalks, preserved, as it were, by the rays of the sun, until they become covered with a kind of down, which gives to them an almost mouldy appearance. During this period, the fruit, under the influence of the sun, ferments within its skin, thereby attaining the requisite degree of ripeness, akin to rottenness.

“On the occasion of the vintage, as it is absolutely essential that the grapes should be gathered, not only when perfectly dry, but also warm, the cutters never commence work until the sun has attained a certain height, and invariably suspend their labours when rain threatens, or mists begin to rise. At the first gathering they detach simply the _graines rôties_, or such grapes as have dried after arriving at proper maturity, rejecting those which have shrivelled without thoroughly ripening, and, from the former, a wine of extreme softness and density, termed _crème de tête_, is produced.

“By the time the first gathering has terminated, other grapes will have sufficiently ripened and rotted, or dried, and both sorts are now detached, yielding the wine called _vin de tête_, distinguished by equal softness with the _crème de tête_, but combined with a larger amount of alcohol, and greater delicacy of flavour. At this point, a delay generally ensues, according to the state of the weather, it being requisite, towards the end of October, to wait while the rays of the sun, combined with the night dews, bring the remainder of the grapes to maturity, when the third gathering takes place, from which the wine, termed _centre_, frequently very fine and spirituous, is produced. Another delay now ensues, and then commences the final gathering, when all the grapes remaining on the stalks are picked, which, when the vintage has been properly conducted, is usually only a very small quantity, yielding what is termed the _vin de queue_.”

However, although it is not given to all of us to be able to afford Château d’Yquem, yet there are many of the other white wines of France, which are within ordinary limits, and which compare more than favourably with the red wines.

BURGUNDY AND OTHER WINES.

Verily there cannot be much amiss with wine that causes a holy man (by profession) to break forth into song as follows:—

“Nous les boirons lentement, Nous les boirons tendrement, Ton Clos Vougeot, ton Romanée: Par nous la sainte liqueur, Qui nous rechauffe le cœur, Ne sera jamais profanée.”

More generous than the wines of Bordeaux, it has been the drink of Kings and Popes, and perhaps no vineyard has a similar honour done it as that of Clos-Vougeot (Napoleon’s favourite wine); for when a French regiment marches past that celebrated vineyard, it halts, and presents arms. On the golden slope—the Côte d’Or—is grown this wine of Burgundy, and the _vignerons_ divide the district into two parts, the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, the first of which produces the finest wines, from Vosne especially, whence come Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, Richebourg, Romanée-St. Vivant, La Grande Rue, Gaudichat, Malconsort, and others; but of all these Romanée Conti is king. Unfortunately the yield of this vineyard is very small, and genuine Romanée is seldom to be met with. But there are plenty of good wines to be bought at moderate prices, those of Chambertin, Volnay, Beaune, Mâcon, and Beaujolais. Chief among the white Burgundies is Chablis; but there are other sorts, not half enough drank in England—Mâcon, Pouilly, Meursault, Chevalier-Montrachet, Montrachet-Ainé, and many other fine white wines. Sparkling Burgundy is not to be despised.

The Côtes du Rhone produce fine wines, too, such as Hermitage, Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, and St. Peray; but of these, perhaps, Hermitage red and white are best known to us.

Much wine is made in the South of France, in the departments of the Hérault, the Gard, the Aude, and the Pyrenées-Orientales, whilst Languedoc has always been famous for its wines, which are very similar to some Spanish varieties. Roussillon is nearly as good as Burgundy, and, after being manipulated at Cette, is often palmed off as “Vintage Port,” and the Muscat wines of the Hérault and the Pyrenées-Orientales are particularly luscious, especially those from Lunel.

Some wines come from Corsica, but they do not find their way, as such, into the English market; no doubt, though, but we have them in some shape, for the mystifications of the wine trade are stupendous, and, to an outsider, unfathomable.

J. A.

GERMANY: Rhine Wines—Heidelberg Tun—Hock—Stein-wein—Asmannhäuser—Straw Wines—Goethe’s Opinion of Wine GREECE: Verdea—Vino Santo—The Wine of Night. HUNGARY: Maszlacz—Tokay—Carlowitz—Erlauer. ITALY: Monte Pulciano—Chianti—Barolo—Barbera—Montefiascone—Lacryma Christi, etc. MADEIRA: Malvasia—Tinta—Bual, etc. PERSIA: Shiraz.

GERMANY.

The Germans, says Cyrus Redding, like vain men of other nations, have wasted a good deal of idle conjecture on the antiquity of the culture of the vine in their country; and then, as though to show by example that this waste of idle conjecture is not confined to the Germans, Mr. Redding continues the investigation of this important matter himself. In the opinion of an experienced merchant these wines have a “distinct character and classification of their own.” Their alcoholic strength is low, averaging about 18 per cent.

To the north of Coblentz the wines are of little comparative value, though a Rhenish wine has been produced at Bodendorf, near Bonn. On the Rhine or its tributary rivers between Coblentz and Mayence, all the most celebrated wines of Germany are grown. The grapes preferred for general cultivation are the Riessling, a small, white, harsh species. The true _Hochheimer_, daily consumed in Germany, is grown to the eastward of Mentz, between there and Frankfort. The wines mellow best in large vessels, an experience which has produced the celebrated Heidelberg Tun, holding some six hundred hogsheads. The distinguishing characteristics of German wine have been said to be generosity, dryness, fine flavour, and endurance of age. The dyspeptic will learn with delight that the strong wines of the Rhine are extremely salutary, and contain less acid than any other. It is also averred that they are never saturated with brandy. _Liebfrauenmilch_[27] is grown at Worms. It is full bodied, as is that of _Scharlachberg_. Wines of _Nierstein_,[28] _Laubenheim_, and _Oppenheim_ are good, but _Deidesheimer_ is considered superior to them. _Hock_[29] is derived from Hochheim; but nearly every town on the banks of the Rhine gives its name to some lauded vintage. The flavour of Hock is supposed to be improved by thin green glasses. Perhaps, says the judicious Redding, this is mere fancy. The Palatinate wines are cheaper Hocks. Moselles have a more delicate perfume. The whole eastern bank of the Rhine to Lorich, called the Rheingau, about fourteen miles in extent, has been famous for its wines for ages. Naturally, therefore, it was once the property of the Church. Here is _Schloss-Johannisberger_, once nearly destroyed by General Hoche, where a leading Rhine wine is made. _Steinberger_ takes the next rank to _Johannisberger_. _Gräfenberg_, also once ecclesiastical property, produces wine equal to _Rüdesheimer_, which is a wine of the first Rhine growths. _Marcobrunner_, _Roth_, _Königsbach_ are excellent drinks. _Bacharach_ has lost its former celebrity. The conclusion to which a celebrated connoisseur has arrived after an exhaustive examination of German wines is this: “On the whole, the wines of _Bischeim_, _Asmannshäuser_, and _Laubenheim_ are very pleasant wines; those of rather more strength are _Marcobrunner_, _Rüdesheimer_ and _Niersteiner_, while those of _Johannisberg_, _Geissenheim_, and _Hochheim_ give the most perfect delicacy and aroma.” The Germans themselves say _Rhein-wein, fein-wein; Necker-wein, lecker-wein; Franken-wein, tranken-wein; Mosel-wein, unnosel-wein_.[30]

The red wines of the Rhine are considered inferior to the white. Red _Asmannshäuser_ is perhaps the best. Near Lintz _Blischert_ is made. Königsbach and Altenahr yield ordinary wines. The most celebrated of Moselle wines is the _Brauneberger_, of which the varieties are numerous. A variety called _Gruenhäuser_ was formerly styled the Nectar of the Moselle. The wines of Ahr, of which some are red, resemble Moselles, but will keep longer. Of the wines of the Neckar the most celebrated is _Besigheimer_. Baden, Wiesbaden, Wangen, and Würtzberg, all grow good wines. Of the last is _Stein-wein_, produced on a mountain so called, and named by the Hospital to which it belongs, _Wine of the Holy Ghost_. _Leisten_ wines are grown on Mt. Saint Nicolas. _Straw_ wines are made in Franconia. _Calmus_, a liqueur wine, like the sweet wines of Hungary, is made in the territory of Frankfurt. The best vineyards are those of Bischofsheim. Wines of Saxony are of little worth. Meissen and Guben produce the best. Naumburg makes some small wines, like inferior Burgundy. The excellence of the Rhine wines has seldom perhaps been proved more clearly than by one who loved them well. Goethe, in his _Aus einer Reise am Rhein, Main und Neckar_, says: “_Niemand schämt sich der Weinlust, sie rühmen sich einigermaassen des Trinkens. Hübsche Frauen gestehen dass ihre Kinder mit der Mutterbrust zugleich Wein geniessen. Wir fragten ob denn wahr sey, dass es geistlichen Herren, ja Kurfürsten geglückt, acht Rheinische Maass, das heisst sechzehn unserer Bouteillen, in vierundzwanzig Stunden zu sich zunehmen? Ein scheinbar ernsthafter Gast bemerkte, man dürfe sich zu Beantwortung dieser Frage nur der Fastenpredigt ihres Weihbischofs erinnern, welcher, nachdem er das schreckliche Laster der Trunkenheit seiner Gemeinde mit den stärksten Farben dargestellt, also geschlossen habe—_” But for those who understand not the German tongue we will give some of the sermon of this Church dignitary on the Rochusberg in English. “Those, my pious brethren, commit the greatest sin who misuse God’s glorious gifts. But the misuse excludes not the use. Wine, it is written, rejoices man’s heart. Therefore we are clearly intended to enjoy it. Now perhaps, beloved brethren, there is not one of you who cannot drink two measures of wine without feeling any ill effects therefrom; he, however, who with his third or fourth measure has so far forgotten himself as to abuse, beat and kick his wife and children, and to treat his dearest friend as his worst enemy, let such a one discontinue to drink three or four measures, which thus render him unpleasing to God and despicable to man. But he who with the fourth measure, nay, with his fifth or his sixth, still maintains his sense in such a manner that he can behave properly to his fellow-Christian, attend to his domestic duties, and obey his spiritual superiors as he ought, let him be thankful in modesty for the gift accorded to him. But let him not advance beyond the sixth measure, for here commonly is the term set to human power and endurance. Rare indeed is the occasion in which the benevolent God has lent a man such especial grace that he may drink eight measures—a grace which He has, however, accorded to me His servant. Let, therefore, every one take only his allotted measure _und auf dass ein solches geschehe, alles Ubermaass dagegen verbannt sey, handelt sämmtlich nach der Vorschrift des heiligen Apostels welcher spricht; Prüfet alles und das Beste behaltet!_”

GREECE.

The vinification of Greece is commonly imperfect. Most of its wines become vinegar in summer. Avoid, says a well-known guide-book, the wine of this country, which is generally acid and always impure.[31] The best Greek wines are those of the islands Ithaca, Zante, Tenos, Samos, Thera (Santorin),[32] and Cyprus. The white wine of Zante, called _Verdea_, resembles Madeira in flavour. The wine of Naxos is of considerable strength, and is greatly improved by age. A quantity of it, known as _Vino Santo_, is exported. Andros was sacred to Dionysus, and a tradition (Plin. ii. 103; xxxi. 13; Paus. vi. 26) says that for seven days during a festival of this god the waters of a certain fountain were changed to wine. The wine did no credit to the god, if it resembled that which this island at present produces. The “Nectar” of _Morta_ is bitter and astringent. Dr. Charnock has recommended the _Monthymet_ as a good mild wine, and the _œconomos_. A white wine, called “_the wine of night_,” is supplied under the distinctive names of _St. Elie_ and _Calliste_; the latter is the better.

HUNGARY.

The wines of Hungary, we are told, “possess considerable body with a moderate astringency.” The varieties of wine known as _Ausbruch_ and _Maszlacs_, including the _Tokays_, _Rust_, _Menes_, and many more, are of the most important character. Without the addition of dry berries the so-called natural wine or _Szamorodni_ is obtained. The Tokay essence, a very sweet wine, should be also very old. When fifty years in bottle it costs some £3[33] for a small flask. Ausbruch, also sweet, should be also old. _Maszlacz_ is of four different kinds. The _Mezes_, _Male_ or _Imperial_, does not get into trade. _Meograd_, _Krasso_, and _Villany_ from the West of Hungary are good strong wines of the second class. Wines of the third class are very numerous. There is no space to mention more than the red wines: _Baranya_, _Presburger_, _Somogy_, _Vagh-Ujhelyer_, _Paulitsch_, and _Erdöd_, and the white _Miszla_, _Balaton_, _Füred_, _Hont_, _Pesth_, and _Weissenburger_. _Samlauer_ is one of the best white wines made at a place called Samlau, as _Erlauer_ another good wine at Erlau. The most commonly known Hungarian wines of the present are _Oedenburger_, _Samlauer_, _Neszmely_, and _Carlowitz_.

ITALY.

That Italy produces good wines is, says Cyrus Redding, undeniable. She also produces wines that are very bad. The best Italian wines are believed to be of Tuscany. As Hafiz is the authority for _Shiraz_, so Redi’s _Bacco in Toscana_ should be consulted for the wines of Italy. _Monte Pulciano_ is of a purple hue, sweet and slightly astringent. It is to this wine that Redi gives the palm, calling it _la manna di Monte Pulciano_. The wine of _Chianti_, near Sienna, is well known. _Artiminio_, _Poncino_, _Antella_, and _Carmignano_, though of less reputation, are not greatly inferior. The best _Verdea_[34] comes from Arcetri near Florence. _Trebbiano_, a gold-coloured syrup, is produced, according to Drs. Thudichum and Dupré, from grapes, “passulated on the vine by torsion of the stalk.” _Montelcino_, _Rimaneze_, and _Santo Stefano_ are Siennese wines. Of Sardinia the chief wines are the so-called _Malvasias_, _Giro_, _Aleatico_, like the _Tinto_ of Alicante, and _Bosa_, _Ogliastra_, and _Sassari_. Of Piedmont the principal wines are _Barolo_, _Barbera_, _Nebbiolo_, _Braccheto_. _Asti_, _Chaumont_, _Alba_, and _Montferrat_ have had reputation thrust upon them. _Grignolinos_ are made from a vine closely related to the _Kadarka_ of Hungary, and the _Carmenet_ of the Gironde. The wines of Genoa are of small repute. Central Italy furnishes _Montefiascone_,[35] with a delicious aroma, _Albano_, resembling _Lacryma Christi_, and _Orvieto_. The principal wine of Naples, from the base of Vesuvius, is _Lacryma Christi_, a rich, red, exquisite drink, affirmed by some adventurous fancies to be the _Falernian_ of Horace. “O Christ!” said a Dutchman who drank, “why didst Thou not weep in my country?” Gallipoli, Tarento, Baia, Pausilippo, yield good wines. The islands in the Bay of Naples all produce wine; that of _Caprea_ is of good ordinary quality, both white and red. Calabria furnishes many good wines. _Muscadenes_ and dry wines are made at Reggio. _Asprino_, a white foamy wine, with a pleasant sharpness, is a favourite of the Campagna. _Carigliano_ is a Muscadine, with a flavour of fennel. Dr. Charnock speaks highly of the wine of Capri, and of Orvieto, a delicate white wine of Rome. The disagreement of travellers about the merits of wines arises principally, of course, from a diversity of tastes, but also in the matter of Italian wines, from the fact that different wines bear the same names in different countries. There is, for instance, a _vino santo_ and a _vino greco_ in Naples. A Veronese wine, _vino debolissimo e di niuna stima_, is also called _vino santo_, and an excellently good wine at Brescia. It is the same with half a dozen of the most noted wines of Italy. _Modico_, a fine white wine from the place of that name near Salerno, was apparently a favourite of the noted School of Salernum. The best known wines out of Italy are the _Barola_, _Barbera_, and the rest which may be found on the wine-list of every _padrone_ of an Italian restaurant; the _Inferno_ of the Valtellina; the _Lambrusco_ of Modena; the _Chianti_ of Tuscan—a wine grown on the estate of Baron Ricasoli, not thought so much of in Italy as in England; and the _Lacryma Christi_ of Naples. Most Italian wines are bottled in flasks, in the old Roman style, with oil[36] on the top, and wool over the oil.

MADEIRA.

Wine is first mentioned as a product of Funchal, the capital of Madeira, in the fifteenth century. In 1662, when Charles II. married the Infanta Catherine of Bragança, English merchants began to settle in Madeira. The principal varieties of Madeira are _Malvasia_, _Bual_, _Sercial_, _Tinta_, and _Verdelho_ (the _Verdea_ of Tuscany). In England, Madeira is now within the reach of all. At the beginning of this century, it was known only to connoisseurs. The “fine rich old _Boal_” is fairly familiar, and if we may trust the wine merchants, the “Very Superior Old,” variously described as full, soft, golden, delicate, and mellow, is gradually winning its way into public favour, since that same “soft fulness,” added to a delicious and yet pungent flavour, produces a drink “altogether superior” to the best Sherry.

PERSIA.

The ancient, most famous wines of this country were those of Chorassan, Turan, and Mazanderan. These places still produce wines; but their characteristics and reputation have, it is affirmed, become blended in the wine of Shiraz, in the province of Ferdistan, on the Persian Gulf. Chardin, the Frenchman, describes this wine as of excellent quality, but of course not so fine as the French wines. The German, Kämpfer, puts Shiraz on the same level with the best Burgundy and Champagne. He who wishes to learn the nature of the wine of Shiraz should consult the _Diwan_ of Hafiz. How far this poet speaks of wine literally understood, and how far of spiritual delights, is a matter for commentatorial investigation. Persian wine is frequently mixed with _raki_ and saffron, and the extract of hemp. _Sherbet_, made of fruit juices and water, is English rather than Oriental.

PORTUGAL.

PORTUGAL: Peso da Regoa—Four Methods of Cultivation of Vine—White and Black Ports—The _Quintas_—Tarragona—Charneco. RUSSIA: Kahetia—Gumbrinskoé. SICILY: Marsala. SPAIN: Malaga—Sherry—Amontillado. SWITZERLAND: Chiavenna—St. Gall—The Canton of Vaud. CIDER: Derivation—Ainsworth—Gerard—Bacon—Evelyn—Turberville—Macaulay—Phillips. PERRY.

One hundred and fifty years ago, in the small town of Peso da Regoa, then called Regua only, near the confluence of the Corgo with the Douro, lived a single fisherman, in a hut which he had himself constructed. When the Oporto Wine Company was established, their warehouses were erected here, and an annual fair for the sale of wine was established.

Peso da Regoa—the Peso comes from an adjoining village—is now a thriving town, and may be considered the capital of the Alto Douro district (_Paiz Vinhateiro do Alto Douro_), whence are sent to England and elsewhere those wines which are here known as Port. The wine district is bounded by Villa Real on the north, Lamego on the south, S. João da Pesqueira on the east, and Mezãofrio on the west. It is unwholesome, and but thinly populated. Those who list may draw from this fact a divine prohibition of the bibbing of Port.

The vine is cultivated in Portugal in four ways. (1) By being trained round oaks or poplars _de enforcado_, as the Romans _ulmisque adjungere vites_. (2) By the terrace system, the best as (1) is the most picturesque. (3) By bushes in rows, with the intermediate ground ploughed. (4) By the trellis or _de ramada_. The first liquor drawn from the _lagar_, or press, the result of the weight of the grapes alone, is called _Lacryma Christi_. After that a gang of men jump into the _lagar_, and dance to the sound of the fife or bagpipe. The weather is warm, the work is hard; the result is better conceived than expressed.