The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-08
LTTERATURH.
REVIE OF NEW BooKs

This work is dissertation on vine culture,
wine making, and wine drinking in Europe
and America. The author passed three
seasons in the principal wine-making districts
of Europe for the purpose of investigating all
the mysteries of vine culture, with view OF
obtaining the necessary information Tor intro
ducing proper system into the United States
His experiences are relatedin pleasant, read
able manner, and he is sufficiently minute in
his descriptions to give them practical value
10 all who are interested in the subject of
vine growing in the United States. The work
is interesting of itself, and it contains a
great deal of practical information about the
cultivation of vines, their diseases and cure,
wine making and wine drinking as affecting
health and morals. 1t is illustrated with a
number of diagrams which explain the
methods of planting and growing very clearly,
and the usefulness of the work is enhanced
by a full index.
We quote the following exhilarating
description of a wine-tasting party in the
cellar of the Schloss-J Johannisberg:-
-Four o'clock had come, and the gods were
assembling-that is to say, party OF ladies aud
gentlemen were descending the steps of a door
at the side of the CASTLE and were about entering
that of the cellars which opened close by it,
One of them, a lady of the Hungarian type of
face, cloaked and hooded for the descent into
the lower regions, met me as | drew near and
addressed me in perfect English.
II told her why had come to Johannisberg,
adding that, had known however, of her being
there, l should not have taken the liberty.
But why not 2 she said, I'm sure 1 feel
very much obliged to you for taking the
trouble
(which made me feel ! was no intruder.
'The cellars were right under the schoss. As
we entered could perceive that it was wide and
high, arched overhead, and remarkably dry and
Clean Numerous candles lighted it brilliantly
At the upper end was sort of stage scene
formed of greenhouse trees, shrubs, and flowers,
and other ornaments, having quite a pretty
effect.
''It seemed it was a wine-tasting party COM
posed of people assembled from the neighbor-
hood, and some friends then on II visit to the
princess. And on that day of all others, when
wine was to rain down, 1t was my fortune to be
there with my goblet held up!
"After making tour of the alleys, we reached
place where q table was spread and chairs ar
ranged, around which the company seated them
selves. After an explanation from NJ. Herr
mansky that, though her highness had ordered
coffee, yet as it was inconsistent with that per-
feet equilibrium of the senses and freshness of
the organs of taste required where his nectar
was to be received, he had taken the liberty of
suppressing it, and would at once proceed to
place before us samples of different vintages in
the order of their merit, beginning with one of
the lower grades (all which was explained to
me by Count Zechy, next whom sat), the wine
was then served in green Hook glasses of good
capacity. The first, and least good of the eight
or ten different sorts, was much the best white
wine had ever tasted. 1t was followed by
better, and then better, and then better still,
mounting in scale of graduated eXcellence-the
enthusiasm rising, too, in like measure-until
the best was reached in form of a cask twenty
one years old-lust come to Its majority IN the
slipping of which one could only eXclaim, Won
derful! wonderful The bride of the cellar was
yet to come; and she came, radiant and delight
full rs star-crowned Ariadne, bride of Bacchus.
SIS it expected l should describe these upper
Johannisbergers? Epithets, comparatives, and
superlatives gave out in exhaustion long way
down the ladder. Richness 'fneness,' Soft
ness body Vinosity, flavor bouquet terms
of commerce and of table smal-talk, all apply
to wine, and are limited in meaning by the finite
qualities of their subject. But am writing of
JoHANNIsBERGER.
"Shall talk poetry to it, and try to compass
its excellence with figures andtlowers of speech?
Or shall quote where | dare not originate, and
make the Great Master of the Tyre speak for me?
Let us see. He has done his tersest and best
when he tells us Ulysses took with him to the
isle of the Cyclops wine that was
Erich, unadulterate, and fit for gods to drink
but would the gods themselves be fit
For drink so rich and pure as tE
"'Look there y said Count Zechy looked
up, and saw the scene have named at the other
end of the grotto, slowly rise in the air, floating
among clouds of violet and rose, through which
shone rays of every iris tint-the scene itself
changing, as it moved, into celestial landscape.
For long while it remained in view. Now it
approached and now receded, all the time rising,
and so, gently coming and going, and slowly
mounting upwards, it passed away.
"Was it the bride of the cellarE had made us
see this beautiful thing?
mo; it was NJ. Herzmansky burning Bengal
lights among the greenhouse plants
"As, in the course of the tasting, had taken
to the quantity of two or three glasses or maybe
more, il is proper should say something of the
effects of those high Johannisbergers.
'"ro begin, the first effect was the same as
poor Proserpine felt when, having tasted the
Juice of pomegranates grown in Pluto's domi-
Mons, she wanted to live there through all eter-
nifty. So felt l. in those lower regions of johann
nisberger. After partaking of the charmed
fruit / was spell-bound, and tore myself not
easily away.
"Cofee excites the brain, and tea the liver,
with an unbalanced action. Hasheesh and opium
are liars which cheat the senses with unreal OBJ
jects, born of the vapors OF the brain they dis
order. But wine acts honestly on the real and.
while eXaltng the action of every part within
us, and the effect of every object without U.S.
works only with the actual and the true. Ac-
cordingly, as 1 drove down hill, the working of
the spell that lay in the kiss upon my lips the
cellars bride gave glorided all the wide Rhine
land, already glorious with the sunset, giving to
the waters a brighter SPARKLE and deepening the
purple of the shadowy hills By the same power,
every event since the morning came over the
mind again and again, with repeated titillations
of memory's chord, multiplying that one de-
lightful day into many. was contented with
all things and all events, for all had treated me
well. The river and the hills had pleased me
the air and skies had been amiable; the people
had met had been polite and kind; and realized
most vividly-what was true most really-that
the heavens were good, and the earth was good
and the fruits of il passing descripton-that this