, 1877-01-12

The Story Of Artificial ColorinR Dsnicd-Ths
White Vino districts.

Correspondence London 7fm-.
We hare read latelr In some English papers
good deal on the subject Of the artificial coloyng
OF French wines, and have madc II our duty
IN consequence, In tho course Of recent c1cur-
slons through tho various parts of the Haut
an0 Bus Mcdoc, TO institute careful Inquiries on
the subject. As the result, We pledge ourselves
to the honesty Of the following statement
that in no single instance lAvc VIC been able 10
flnd trace OF such q practice, aad that the
mysterious strnngcy represented by Some OF
your contemporaries as going abou. from dis
trict to district with all Burts
Of subtle nostrams for improving
and Increasing the color OF wines
deficient in that respect Is, VIC believe, pure
myth, At any rate 60 far as the Mcdoc is con-
ccrnesl. This opln!ot, Is conl1r,nctl by that Of
ono OF the most Influential brokcrsot bordeaux,
who assures us that tho practice In question is
unknown here. However rs tll!s bugbcar Of
arttlc!ally~colorcd wines 1sas been siar.cd II
may afford some cntsulMtion TO tho large and
Increasing cn8s Of tlarCt-<trinkera to know that
Willie it Is impossible To fDrHl trustworthy
opinion ut present upon tho character of the
generally prevailing opinion Ut the district Is
thnt the Wines are bict colnEe. and have sucl,
al, amount Of aatcharinc as to give rras0n tn
hupc that they will provo Of good anil possibly
h!sh character.
x few words AZ to the prospects OF the rrcs-
cnt year III tile white wine districts. The vtnt-
tayc hav!n. terminated tn tho nr!gl!trorlsoo1 uf
the Mcdoc. VIC aya!led ourselyes Of the np{ort,'-
Including the Chateau faue1ii. III the santcr1lc
District Here, ngasn, WI regretted to tnt
that the yintagc Is likely to pc small
one. The average quantity OF wl'ltc wisvs
The process an entirely different INC: thu graves
being picked sinsly from the buehes rs they
}rcnn!r, not 10 guy ripe. but positively dry n'iA
wlthrrcI, md presenting H1nre tlIc appearance
ind Sa,tcrncs, the process OF n'nktnE tilr win:
II exceedingly simple, claret being tue juice of
the grapcs slightly pressed and allowed to run,
together with the fruit itself, into large Sats,
fermentation is completed. whcn, The ju1ec !:
drawn OF into tho hogshcads, Which are placed
in roo!, dirk stnrrs above ground. IN England,
grapes being si,rh un expensive luxury, II Il
gathered frisEt arriving at thu p1c.s-hnuses hour
after hour OIL lnng narrow carts drawn by pairs
nf magnificent nxen. which It would do al
English Butchers heart good t" look vt. The
different, the grapes Or dried fruit beinE caro-
fully picked ono by one; and for this rcA.on II
the iIilc weather lasts, the vintage In these dis
lrcts extends uycr Some weeks. while tI the
event of wet day the labor Is suspended until
the fruit has agni,i had timo to tccnTne dry.
We tested some specimens OF Sa,ltrrIse which
Ind hccn made on tic previous day only, and
which had sweet, lnAwktsi taste, resembling
In clarArtcr the beverage whtrh forms the chd's
itlcA Of wine, wlcn he tnkcs an orange ami
/ squerzcs the tulcc into tho wino'glasE. It
| seemed scarcely possible to believe that th!r
n,tA!tst aud honlcly.loollrg beverage could, In
| the rourse Of q few years, become the highly
| prize.l wine Of Chateau Cuuttt or Fqnem. It Is
il custom uMOng the growers In the Sautcrnc dis
trlrts to put their wine n hopstatie precisely ~
II fl made, ami lehcr. IN tasting the wines III
any vintage, 1t Is Nsltal to commence BY Hrst
| Of nll tasting the least valuable wines Of the
vintage: next, tho e'tsttnt|t. or nvernge ot lIc
| ycar's produce; and, lastly, tho finest spccmc,
Of the VIM made. TALs latter Is IN really tnorc
| liquor than wine, excessively luscious anu
cloying 10 the patatc. After tasting ll,r first.
| aud some OF thu wtnrs Of The SECOND growth,
| We came to the CONCLUSION that the
/ growers hayu carried this rolMt Of
| Sweetness to tSecss. Which will, IN
doubt, account for the fact that the auantt!y u
| SautCruu consumed III En.!aMd Is very trhluE,
the greater quantity going to ltlk>ia, tlun eA:
| pressing this view to this proprietor ol one III
| the most Important Vineyards he informed lls
that In the year 1871 hs tried the experiment "f
| making Ills vino In manlcs SuIir"hat similar
| to elarct, gathering thu Grapes whcn ripe, Ana
| before they had hcrone dried md willcrcd.
| tbs result wa4 that he Msulc much larEIr
| quantity Vt wine during that year, un1 VI 4
| dricr character, resembling the tHtr wines Of
| GtrHlany. W. tasted u sample u ths wine,
and were so pleased with It that We can cum.
mend the process Us worthy Of tue consideration
VI other pruptletoEs.