Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-03-24

W IN these preliminary explanations, we
may proceed to give some account Of the
mysterious processes which the liquids by
courtesy or custom termed Wines un-
dergo to prepare them for this market
Taking the several varieties ia due order,
we commence with that illustrous bever-
aye, good, honest, old English port" as
one Of the witnesses afIectiouately termed
it. On this subject we have, in the first
place, the evidence OF Mr. Joseph Forces
ter, gentleman who has been twenty-five
years engaged in growing aud shipping port
wines, and who is laudbly anxious that the
duty should be lowered, in order that light
er and more wholesome wines might reach
the British consumer, and that the injurl
Gus practices Of adulteration may be pre-
vented. From tins unexcepiionable testi-
mony, it appears that by the present Portu-
guese law no hnsoDRisficcfed port 'sinc is
aiiolecd 10 reach this countryi When an
Oporto merchant desires to ship pipe of
pure wine, he purchases Of farmer a per
mi" which has been obtained for shipping
pipe Of the sophisticated wine, and by
a species of what is considered allowable
smuggling, substitutes his good wine for
the doctored wine, which alone the law al
lows TO be exported. The following are the
terms in which Mr. Forester made this i'm
porlant statement -" If the wine be I'M
sophisticated, as matter of course by law
that wine is not permitted to come TO this
market; the law distinctly prohibits lis be-
Ing shipped thence; as the wine is intend
ed by The merchant for this market, he pur-
chascs from one whose wines have been al
lowed a permit and with that permit substi-
tutcs his unsophlsticaed wine, and loads
that down to his stores at Oporio." The
purchase of this permit IT is stated. ncreas-
es the cost Of the wine by about 81. pipe.
The prime cost of a pipe Of good port wine,
ga the farmers hands, Is, it appears, on an
average, about H. This wine, at duty
oils. gallon (about 81. los pipe) could
be sold in this country at l0d. bottle At
present, however, 1t has TO pay extra dues
~ Portugal amounting to about II. pipe,
aud an import duty ia England amounting
to about 33i plpe. The shipper, who
Ipays the export duty. must. OF course, have
his profit upon that, as well as upon the
original cost of the vine The wine mer-
chant, who pays the import duty, must in
/ like manner obtain a fair return for his
money aud the result is that wine is thus
raised in cost to about A.. the bottle-ol
which Is. goes TO the imperial treasury, and
the rest TO the Portuguese Wine Company,
or into the pockets Of dealers.
Now, to make wine saleable at this ex-
cessiyely high price, 1t is necessary that it
should be an exceedingly strong wine, so that
a little OF It may 90 a great way, either when
taken unmixed, or when blended" with
other wines. The Portuguese authorities
! bo,11 aware of this necessity have establish
ed the law that no wines shall be imported
/ from Portugal to England but such as are
very black. sweet, and strong" possessing
Sufficient body, favor, color and richness to
qualify them for use in doctoring other
wines. "Fhe Portuguese government"
says the witness, consider literally that
port wines are not known or drunk as port
wines, bat really are used simply for max
! int up artificial wines in England In this
opinion the Portuguese government cannot
be very far wrong, # 1t be the fact, as Is stat
ed Ia auother part of these minutes, that al
though only 20 LOCO pipes of port WINE are
u W
what passes far port are consumed by our
population. Concerning the manner in
which these essential qualities of blackness,
sweetness aud strength are secured, Mr.. For
roster gives the following explanation -
"lfthe fermentation Of the grape Juice were
allowed TO have It's full course, sufficient col
oring matter would be extracted by that pro-
cess from the skins or husks OF the grapes
which are thrown in with the Juice. Buf,"
says Mr. Forester, Gin order TO produce
the other two qualities, namely, the strength
* sweetness, the fermentation is sometimes,
and rTy frequently, checked; by which,
as the VINE Is not properly attenuated, the
saccharIne matter is not converted into It's
proper alcohol, and the residue OF this un-
converted saccharlne matter remains sus-
pended IN the imperfect wine and hence,
10 prevent reaction, when the deposit
takes place, brandy must be hrowa into 1t
10 prevent that reaction, as well as TO give II
the strength and the body that Is ordained
by law. If any further coloring matter be
absolutely requisite by the spectator Il
would not suppose by the merchant for the
merchants generally do not like, unless they
are obliged, to sell very common wines, aud
do not like to have recourse to these pracu-
ces then the elderbefry IS, believe, the
only dye made use of IA this country, and
costs an enormous sum Of m0ney.' Mr..
/ Forester is naturally disposed 10 deal ten-
DERBY with his friends the merchants; but as
the only object of thus colorng the wine Is
to make II suitable for expectation 10 Eng
land, II is clear that the whole, or nearly the
whole, OF this large quantity Of eiderberTy
Juice, for which ian enormous sum of mo-
ney" is paid, goes down English shroats.-
| The sum of Mr. Forrester's evidence on this
particular point may be thus stated. by the
/ Portuguese law, there are required to be UNI
ted in all wine that IS exported TO England
/ three qualities, namely blackness, sweetness
and strength, which are rarely found to-
gether IN the wine IN It's natural state. To
produce these qualities artificial means are
resor,ed to. The necessary sweetness Is
obtained by checking the lermenlatlon,
which, of course, leaves the VINE IA an I'M
perfect aud unwholsome state; the strength
is given by the addition OF spirit; and The
color IS communicated by elderberry. Ii
appears, therefore, that the port which Is
brought directly from Portugal (eavIng out
of view that which IS manufactured IN Eng
laud) IS, IN fact, not wine, but compound
of brandy, ederbeTry, aud hai-iermeuted