The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-28
THE WINE CASES.
WHAT WE DRINK.

| 1t was briefly stated in edition os yesterday
that the trial of the great foreign zine cases,
which, for over year past, have been pending
in the United States District Court, had been be-
| gun on Tuesday, and there being between seven
ty and eighty suits in all, bid fair for some time to
4 come to occupy the attention of the court The
| proceedings have thus far been cop60ed to the
reading or taking of testimony, but this has called
into court some of the most experienced wine
| merchants of New Orleans and probabfy bf Amer
lea, whose evidence throws some Interesting light
| upon the subject of the origin, manusycture and
shipments Of good many of those bevsrsges over
which would.be connoisse urs often se:Sck their
lips in fanoed delight, or which, sparbfsg In cob
webbed bottles, pretended judges of good wine
produce with "There, sir, taste thst.z
The court room itself is redolent Of times with
the grateful fragrance of the wines. samples Of
which are on the clerks desk, with sn.ar-ay Of
glassware which makes outsiders long logan ad-
mittance to the bar. sz,s
In brief, the origin of the suits ghs5h are
brought by the United States is tbrsAvsrment
that they were, with view to red5eei import
duties, invoiced below their actual valves. To de-
termine accurately this value is, tS.aresore. il
seems, the object of the suits. T6s fi.st one
taken up, and which, up to this time;s ofupies
the attention Of the court. is termed tss' United
States VS.. IS eases and 40 half casks. * wine,
District Attorney Morgan; Randall iSsat Esqs
Mr.. Billings, Of Sullivan, Billings x Hu.I:sS Col
Judd, Of Illinois, and Special Treasury agent
Gibbs, lthe two latter having, we beltfYe, come
here from Washington for the purpose tconduct
the defense.
The testimony of the gentlemen cssft to the
witness stand is in every case interestirs struc-
tive and full of information. Mr.. Jol:p,A srshalI
London wine merchant Of tHenty.t5. as.years'
experience, and reputed an excellent3nige of
the taste and quality Of wines, being caied test-
fed in support Of the charge Of undervStSeon
Mr.. Fuentes, wine importer Of lor.s lt1rldng
IN this city, stated In the defense that &xSSd i'm
ported for five francs just as good wire Is that
invoiced in this case at the same price Is a5laye
Superieur." He stated also during .ssas' !cross-
examination that not a bottle Of geniae a.afitts
or Chateau Margeaux ever left FranCs ar this
not the l1ines. " ~
Being requested yesterday to taste III fSriou.
wines, with view to expressing an .csn3on of
them, Ar. fuentes disclsimed being AZ, x6ert in
that respect. FI
Mr.. Tardos, another wine merchant, hs;iEed in
manner generally similar to Mr.. Fu fsessas to
prices, and gave o most interesting sc.ount NJ
the manufacture Of wines of these spgSses He
says that the particular wine involved iaSf, case
70 made wine, its ingredients beinastLecom.
monest hsaH L sind OF white white wine, wine leeGsfsome
Mr. A. Carriere, another Of our ieaAtuS.x;na
merchants, being called to the witbS.s sfand
gives very similar testimony as to psxss and
adds that he is native of Perigord Cori4st - and
has lived several years in Bordeaux. yfiss gives
still more interesting details as to thvsussnfac.
ture OF wines for this market, and ada. ssat in
order that there may be some shadow "a Sj3nsist-
ency IN the king of the LATTE or Chss u Mar.
geaux brands, few gallons Of BorsSapS are
thrown INTO each tun before shpmsst. :safte,
purchasers. NV f.y''a Oh
iourned until to-day. ~ :s'T' ~