The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-05-17

And when scars this mellow note,
Seeming heavsnward to float,
Like an answ ring voice divine.
Surely, Echo, it is thine!
COUNTERFEIT WINE MANUFACTURE
The counterfeit wines for which Cette i.
principally noted are sherry, port, Madeira,
Malaga, Cyrus, and Lisben-the last a
kind of sweet sherry. 1t also exports a
large quantity of what is termed Burgundy
port, principally to the United States,
where it is used, mixed with an equally
fictitious sherry, in the composition of the
we'll known sherry cobbler. Cette likewise
produces counterfeit champagne, Alicante,
Malmsey, MARSHA, Sauternes, Hermitage,
and Rhine wines. During last year the
expectation of imitation wines from Cette
was close upon couple of million litres,
or nearly 450, 900 gallons, which was equiv
alent to one-third of its total export of
wine. A considerable quantity of the
counterfeit wine of Oette is moreover con-
sumed in France, more particularly sherry,
Madeira, Malaga, and Cyrus, so that there
is little doubt that this fraudulent trade
produces considerably more than half a
million of gallons annually.
1t is some consolation, says the British
Trade Journal, to find that the better class
of counterfeit wines 60 to England, which
takes "old erusted port" in large quanti-
ties, with a fair amount of I" fine golden
sherry" and also moderate quantity of
Madeira. The wines of an intermediate
quality are reserved for Russia, Sweden,
and the north of Europe generally-the
first of which takes port, Madeira, Malaga,
MARSHA, and Lisbon; while Sweden and
other northern States take Sherry and
Malaga. The counterfeit wines of the
lowest class-including the worst Madeira
and sherry, the vilest champagne, the poor
est Sauternes, the most worthless Rhine
wines, Alicante, and Malmsey-are all spe-
cially concocted for the American market,
New York receiving what no other place,
odNo pCluapS SOluC VI GuC ooutu AHCllCau
States, would admit.
At Cette-next to Marseilles the most
industrious, animated, and prosperous
town of the south of Frarce-we were
struck by the activity which was every
where apparent. Half score of omni-
buses were awaiting the arrival of the
train. The quays were encountered with
wine carts, discharging their loads for ship
ment, and at the bourse, which was being
held in the open air, an immense crowd of
courtiers and 'segociants en- usns were largely
dealing in newly distilled trois-six and this
years Roussillon.
We found such large producers of imita-
ton wines as we called upon quite ready to
accompany us through their cellars, and
invite us to taste any of their samples;
but they proved unusually reticent when
any questions were addressed to them on
the subject of the means employed to pro-
duce this transformation of wine which is
a speciality of the industry of Cette. They
all maintained that drugs were never had
recourse to by respectable firms, who,
moreover, they said, employed no chem
lists in their establishments; although it
was quite true that there were certain dis
honest houses-there are degrees, it ap-
pears, in fraud-doing an insignificant
amount of business, who had recourse to
chemicals to produce different counterfeit
wines. The judicious admixture of one
natural wine with another, and the intro
duction of small quantity of grape sugar
or unfernented wine, which, by producing
new fermentation, renders the fusion
homogeneous, supplemented by age or by
exposing the wine in casks to the influence
of the hot southern sun, were, according
to the manufacturers themselves, the prin-
cipal means they employed. No doubt
artificial heat also plays prominent part
in the business.
The wines of Roussillon, more especially
that of Banyuls, are employed, it appears,
in the manufacture of port, which seemed
to be very simple affair, consisting in
nothing further than the introduction into
it of considerable quantity of brandy
as much as from Is to 81 degrees of spirit
being added. The doctored wine has,
however, to be kept three years before it
is entitled to rank even as young port
The samples we tasted were of the brew
ings of 1867, 1866, 1861, and 1860, and we
must confess to perfect familiarity with
the beverage, having met with it frequent
ly at public dinners, besides at scores Of
provincial hotels. 1t was the same with
the five years old sherry, made from a dry
white wine of the south, and rendered gol.
den by the innocuous admixture of a little
caramel, and which, although it had been
branded to the extent of so litres of ''trois,
six de Montpelier " to each butt of 500
litres, was less fiery than much of the sher-
ry dunk in London. We had begun with
which, after the exploded English fashion,
we followed up with the claret. The only
wine of this kind, however, offered us tc
taste, proved to be a diluted St. George,
one of the Montpelier wines, which seemed
very fair, ordinary wine for palates al.
ready depraved by the products of Portu.
gul and Spain.
We noted down few prices of these
transformed wines. Port, the staple com.
modify, ranged from Ats to $50 francs the
pipe of 533 litres-only 10 cents the pint,
or 20 cents the bottle-and yet we observe
from the price-l list of Marseilles firm now
before us, that it can be bought as low as
300 francs or at the rate of less that IL
cents the bottle, against 800 francs de.
manded for the genuine wine. Sherry,
which, warranted five years old, was 45C
fancs the butt of 500 litres at Cette, is
offered, without any guarantee as to age,
at Marseilles at 300 francs, against 90C
france demanded for pure Here's. Madeira
at Cette was from $50 to $50 francs the
butt of AGO litres, while at Marseilles it is
precisely the same price as the port
There was very little difference in the nrice