Natchitoches spectator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1867-18??, 1868-06-02
What Real Sherry Wine Is.

in the heart of a lovely rolling country
and near the beautiful river so famous
in song and legend, the Gnadalquiver,
lies an old Spanish town, founded more
than two thousand years ago by the Ro-
mans. To the Spaniard it is known by
Jerez, to the French by the name oil
Heres, to the Americans. English, and
the world generally, it is familiar as the
headquarters and depot for the famous
Sherry wine. The Spaniards Declare
that no Englishman or American has
ever been able to properly pronoune
"Jerez," and certainly it is impossible to
give on paper an idea of the name as it
sounds falling from it's native tongue.
O'Shea, in his guide book, attempts
it thus, 'Chgherris," but it gives a poor,
if any idea. Foreigners, generally,
therefore, make an abortive attempt
and say ''Harrez,'' or more wisely call it
1.-the sherry place.
A few days since, our party went from
Cadiz to Jerez by rail, and having en-
gagged rooms in the comfortable hotel,
started with guide for an immediate
inspection OF the most celebrated Of the
wine vaults, those of Peter Domesq,
Esq. We were led through narrow,
dirty streets, lined with low whitewashed
houses which compose the Spanish
towns, until, crossing q little plaza or
square, we stopped III front of large
and elegant house. At first we imag-
ined that our guide must have mistaken
our intentions, and conducted us to the
private residence of Sir Domesq, instead
of his wine vaults; but. as none of our
party spoke Spanish, we determined to
enter and trust to find some one who
could converse in French or English
Passing through the gateway, we en-
tered q most beautiful court, paved with
handsome black and white marble tiles,
while In the centre were blooming a
most lovely collection of flowers. The
corridors around the yard were sup
ported by NJ ost graceful marble columns,
and the whole effect of the court was
to give one an idea of princely wealth
and elegance. Then up stairway,
into long, low room, from the further
end of which a gentleman advanced
and received our letter of introduction.
In this room, so cool, so quiet, and con-
trasting so strangely with thu small and
narrow offices of our merchant princes,
the vast affairs of this house are con-
Quoted. To an American, accustomed
to tie rush and excitement of trade, as
managed at home, it seems strange and
out of place to enter this quiet room,
and expect there to enter into business
discussions and bargains. We received
% most polite and cordial welcome, and
soon were in the streets again under the
guidance of a servant of the house, on
our way to the wine vaults.
A brisk walk of ten minutes, through
dirty, dusty streets, in some parts so
narrow that both walls could be touched
at once, and in which we were obliged to
dodge every little while into an open
doorway to avoid a line of donkeys.
who would often fill the whole way,
brought us to the vaults. 1t is neces-
sary to guard the vaults with heavy
bolts and bars, for serious consequences
might follow, should crowd break into
them.
One imagines, when speaking of wine
vaults, chambers, deep under the ground
and dark, damp and filled with cobwehs
and mould. But those Of Jerez are of
an entirely different character. Sherry
will not bear being kept in cellars here
1T is exposed to moisture and mould, but
must dtaCags be stored in dry, airy places,
where no damp can reach it. The wine
vaults at Jerez, then, are built on this
principle, and consist of large stone
buildings erected on the ground, per
haps two hundred feet long, one hun
dred wide, and from the floor to the
centre OF the roof some forty feet high.
At the top of the solid stone wall form
1lS ZIG SlueS bro numerous grated win
dows, through which constant current
of air is flowing. In these rooms or
vaults, stand the long rows of pipes
containing the wine' piled three tiers
high. There the wine remains year
after year, evaporating, concentrating
and, of course, increasing in value CON
stantly, until at last it changes from
light colored, raw sherry, into a dark,
thick, murky-looking wine, which de-
mands most fabulous price.
We began with the vaults containing
the lower priced wines, about three hun
bred dollars per pipe, and small glasses
of it were given us. We then passed
into another large vault, where the
priced wines are kept, and as ain samples
of the various kinds were submitted for
our examination. First we had sherry
at four hundred dollars in gold per pipe,
and it certainly was a superb article.
Then come dry sherry, at five hundred
dollars per pipe, but to one with a taste
not accustomed to it, it is generally not
as pleasant as tae common sherry. Then
came sweet wines, which the ladies de-
clared delicious, but the gentlemen dis
liked. AS we proceeded, we tasted a