The mountain Democrat., 1865-09-09
... From Chambers Journal.
The AdultSrdtion Of WRnA.

use IN England; but sny dealer who
Knows his trade, and who is reasonably
disposed to be honest; must frankly al
low that Ne are far more indebted to
AfricS thGn to Spain for the wine that
passes under the name Of sherry. Ac.
cording 70 l0is1bly Trustworthy authori-
ty, it is in proof that fuflS three.fourths
of the article sold IN the country for sher-
~ is really nothing more than common
Cape wine, clevsrly eoncocted 10 suit oil
tastes. The cost Of Cape wine Is low
enough, as any one may easily ascertain,
but cheap as Cape wine is, we have heard
Of even cheaper basis for the msHufac-
ture Of good saleAble sherry.
Cider, which CELLS sometimes at as low
price as sixpence gallon, when the or
chard produce has been very plentiful,
has been found to answer admirably, in
Skillful hands, as . liquid out Of which
sherry may be made. To deprive the
Cape wines and the cider of acility, gray
salt, potash and lime are used; and to
clarity them, white of eggs, isinglass, or
bullock's blood, fresh from the slaughter
house; indeed. for the very common sorts
Of wine, horses blood is more frequently
used. Body 10 given to the article by the
use of Fosters neutral spirits-a perfect
ly colorless and strong spirit Of vine
For the basis Of port wine, the common
red wine Of Spain is extensively used
though latterlv, since French wines have
been admitted ct low duty, the common
sorts Of claret have been brought into
use in the manufacturing process, clear.
ness and body being attained by the same
methods as are applied to the perfecting
Of sherry. Apparently, port wine is an
article of consumption that must be doc.
tored to suit the British palate. for even
the very best as imported direct from
Portugal, has to be largely adulterated
with brandy to make it saleable in En-.
glish markets..
Bot il is 10 the favoring and coloring
of different sorts Of port and sherry that
the greatest taste and skill are shown
Here, however, chemistry steps in to aid
the wine merchant, and not only relieves
him of the trouble Of research, but takes
all the drudgery Of preparation off his
hands. The initiated in London are
aware of the visits of an individual at
certain establishments, whose whole stock
in trade consists Of sundry not very large
bottles. containing liquids of various col
ors. Morning or early fOrnoon his in time
for doing business, and the transactions
are generally for ready money, with few
questions asked or answered. This is the
dealer in essence, and the essences play
an important part in wine-making Es-
sence Of sloe juice gives melowness and
color combined. Essence Of black cur
rants produces both body and richness of
havor-much esteemed in good port wines
and expressed juice Of Orleans plums
is found to answer the same purpose.
A solution of tannin in spirits gives the
requisite astringency and the true sherry
favor to inferior Cape wines, such as Capt.
Wegg proposed to introduce into common
use as "s good dinner sherry, at twelve
shillings dozen, bottles included" For
! the costlier brown sherries, q very supe-
rior wine called color, worth perhaps a
hundred pounds per bntt, is sparingly
used for the purpose Of giving color and
in the conImoner sorts, caromel, or burnt
sugar effects the same object. Palm oil
uiSHOtNcu lH oPHNS gives d lNu SOIucu
color to sherry; and almond paste pro.
duces fine hutty flavor, which favor
can also be obtained by the use of nitro
benzole, the latter article being largely
used in favoring cheap sherries. We will
not pretend to say that we can name all
the ingredients used in the "doctorlng
of our drinks, for there may be mysteries
within mysteries; but we know that in
addition to the articles just mentioned,
salt, common sugar, capsicums, grains Of
Paradise, sulphuric acid, cream of tartar
and glycerine play their parts in adding
flavor, and in producing oiliness, crusti
ness and beads in the liquids we are ask
ed to consume as rort and sherry.
There could be no greater mistake,
then, to suppose that adulteration is con.
fined to the wines most commonly con
sumed in England We are not sure, in
deed, but that the adulteration of cham.
pagne is carried on to even a greater ex-
tent than the adulteration of port and
sherry. 1t is only a short time since that
suit in the Court of Queens Bench,
arising out of dispute in connection with
some dock warrants, disclosed the fact
that champagne that viii, fetch guinea
bottle on the race.course need not cost
the retailer more than thirteen shillngs
dozen. We are not, in any great de.
gree, champagne drinking people, yet
learned cUupsel, On the trial just alluded
to, maintained that there is more of this
particular wine consumed in England in
one day than is produced in all France in
the course of twenty years. This is only
another mode of telling Us that we don't
get the real article, but of course we all
know that; yet it is made point of hon
or in some countries to stand up for the
genuineness of the champagne they con.
sumo. In the Pail Mall clubs, it would
be rank hereSy to hint a doubt of the
sparkling vintage. Russians will swear
that out of the capital of the Cars on
the Neva, you have but very little chance
Of ever tasting the genuine product of the
champagne vineyards. In California they
are quite convinced that they have the
very best Of undoubted Meet and Chan
don; while the New Yorkers would think
a man mad who could dream Of question.
ing the fact that only real Veuve CicQuot
is to be had at Delmonico's. All can not
be right iu asserting that they alone have
monopoly of the drink so much in re
pute, though we think there can be no
doubt that the Russians has the best
chance of testing the genuine article. 1t
is stated, on good authority, that with
the exception of what is retained by the
French Court for its own use, and for
sending a. presents to crowned heads,
there is standing agreemsut that all that
is left of the celebrated Cicquot vintage
should be sent to the Russian Govern!
ment.
How the rest of the world is supplied