The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-12
BULBS BEVERAGES.
wine and Wine TRADE I'm England.

buIuptlOu per neaQ mad sunk TO q DOJtle anu u
haltj and thus the richest nation on the globe
had contr1ved by seli-imposed laws, TO deprive
itself OF the noblest and most healthtul beverage
t9at exists. Nay, worse; the perinIclous euecS
and imported as wine ceased to be wine at all
and became something else; and that the people
of England, when they spoke OF wine, applied
the term to liquors in which the honest juice of
the grape had but small part. Under these
duties England became the smallest wine con-
sumer IN the world; her wine, was dear, her
WINE was bad, and, above all, sophisticated
until 1t had lost all the best original qualities of
its nature,
Such was the state of the wine trade and of
English cellars when the negotiation OF the
Commercial Treaty with France, so ably con-
Quoted by MIR. Golden, brought the question to
prompt solution.
In 1862 the duties on wines began to be dimi
nished, until last year the distinction on wines
in bottles was wholly abrogated. We quote:-
This was the first attempt to give what are
termed the eight WinesN o chance in the Eri-
fish market; before this bold stroke OF the then
Chancellor of the Bxchequer, all but the high
est priced wines of France and Germany were
practically excluded from our market by the
fiscal barrier of 5s. Sd. duty per gallon, which
In many cases was several times the value of
the wine itself. Consequently the moderately
priced natural wines of Europe never reached
the tables of our middle classes, and it was only
when they took their holiday trip abroad that
they became practically aware of the tact that
in many parts of the Continent wine was as
cheap as beer, nay, sometimes as cheap or
cheaper than water. 1t certainly was a shock
to their preconceived notions that what they
had been accustomed to look upon as q luxury,
other nations at their very doors treated as
necessary of life. 1t was predicted by the old
fashioned wine merchants that the liberal Chan
Cellor of the Exchequers policy would not sue
ceed; that the people of this country would not
drink the poor sour trash that satisfied our
friends acress the water; if they took wine they
would have wine such as the full-bodied vim
tages to which they had been accustomed; in
short, any stone that was at hand was cast at
the policy of the Statesman who, following in the
steps of his great leader, completed the gift of
cheap bread with cheap wine.
Like many other predictions inspired by in
terested motives, these have already, within six
years of the time when they were made, totally
and signally failed. Taking the wines OF France
as the typical natural light wines of Europe, the
start they have taken since the inauguration of
the new policy is perfectlyEastonishing In the
year 1852 under the old duty of 5s Cd. per gall
lon' we imported the very moderate quantity of
695,9l3 gallons; but last year the quantity had
increased to 1856, 1902 gallons, showing an aug
mentation In the seven years of 1888 per cent. on
French wines alone. If the increase should go
on st anything like the same rate, the revenue,
instead of suffering loss, will very speedily
more than recover itself; indeed, we anticipate
that when the other natural vintages of Europe
become better known, and find their way here,
the new low wine duties, like the penny post
reform, will yield an increasing return to the
Exchequer.
Two hundred years ago
oLARET
was the wine OF EnglanQ-aS, indeed, 1T has
been OF other countries in Northern lattudes
up to the present time-and would probably
have continued so were it not for the fiscal bur
deDs imposed upon it in the latter end of the
seventeenth century.
All classes but the very lowest were then fami-
liar with the cup OF pure wine which CHEERS
but not inebriates." In 1878 the duty was
doubled upon claret and when, in 1897, the
Government began its deliberate imposition OF
differential duty of French wines ia favor OF
those of Portugal,
lla, PORT WINE
came iu vogue. The writer continues:-
The nrst port wine introduced into this coun-
try did not come from the Alto Douro district at
all. 1t was got sweet and strong as we know 1t,
but ii had a clarety- burgundy character, very
much like some of the pure vintages drank by
the Portuguese at the present day. The fiery
rotations now consumed Hnder that magic name
are the result of a loug process OF manipulation,
of i.fortifyng," of ''coloring," and sweetening,
of degrading, IN short, good wine TO supposed
standard demanded by the British taste, but
which has at length resulted IN its almost t0ta
banishment from refined tables, and its descent
to q ruder class OF consumers, who have caught
up the tastes OF the upper ten thousand JUS
where they have left them off. The middle
classes, or rather the lower portion of them
have followed suit and port and sherry have tol
a long time been the only wines they are practi
cally acquainted with. Both OF these wines arr
adulterAted to an extent few people would be
were startled by seeing advertisements OF
the roof touching 1.-THE pure standard
natural Bnerry." why, Salu every udi
TO himself, is not all sherry natural? How cal
! the Juice of the grape be anything but natural
The wine merchant who invented that adVer
tisement was the greatest enemy to the trade
1t ever had for it set people thinking. Let u
see what this natural wine really is. Pure ant
uncontaminated, from the grape, 1t never make
in Spain more than % per cent. OF spirit, tn
average according to Mr.. Shaw beng but 2
per cent, consequently the lowest cannot maxi
more than l6 per cent; and as this WINE Woul
be selected to make common sherry, from IT
poverty it would require at least ~ per cent. q
spirit to bring it up to the regulation strength
In the case of port wine lhe adolton OF sPlTl
is done with double purpose. As the Engllsf
man Is supposed to like strong sweet wine, th
only possible means of obtaining those tw
antaeonistic qualities is to stop the termentatio
ofthe must by the addition OF spirit before a
fhe SUGAR IL contains Is changed into alcoho
nv this means a sufficient quantity of sacche
Tine matter Is retained to suit our suppose
taste. This artificial wine so dOsed with splr
is never touched by the Portuguese nor indee
by any nation OF Europe excepting England.
The English Secretary OF Legation at Lis0oI
writing under date ofJanuary last, corroboratt
the above statements OF the lmpurity OF por
"Ali port wine hitherto exported for the Enl
1isb market is largely mixed with brandy, an
Is composed almost quite as much OF elder be
Ties as of grapes. This is the composition
all the port wine hitherto drank in Englan
No nure wine, no wine not thus specially adu
terated for the English taste, was allowed by Il
Government committee of tasters to pass Il
bar OF the Douro for export to England befo
the fact is, says the Edinburgh Reoteso write
the vitated taste for artificial wines keeps u