, 1885-11-18

people. The blending" MARRIAGE" as
it is sometimes ~called-of the artificial
with the natural article is rather q
nice operation, and requires, for it's sue
cessful accomplishment, considerable care
and thought. The wines of Languedoc and
Var, for example, by reason of their red
ness and favour, marry we'll with the cur
rant-made liquid, which may be safely used
for that purpose in the proportion of fifty
per cent, while dealers can add ten per
cent. to their stocks without the least fear
of the coupage being detected by the most
faStidiOuS of their customers. COMpGge,
however, is not the only method whereby
the ravages Of phyllOxera may be in great
part repaired. BY judiciouS additions of
sugar, distilled water, alcohol, and tartar,
a certain dealer has succeeded i'll raising
the yield of a vineyard which gives general
IL no more than 80 hectOlItres Of wine to
$50 hectolitres and another firm turned,
not long ago lin Sa0ne-et-LOire and the
Cote dOr), 1000 hectolitres of sugaTed
water into q wine that deceived the great
mass OF cOnnOisSeurS. AS may be inferred
from NJ. Audibert's statement that there
are hundreds of wine-factories in the South
of France, the fermentation Of currants is
conducted on an extensive scale, and bids
fair to become an important national indus
try. More than one nelghbOurlng country
has had to take measures for the protection
OF native viticulturiStS from IL competition
which is properly considered fraudulent
and unfair; for though UiR u rdislns secs
may he pleasant to taste and good to drink,
it cannot be right to vend it as the un-
sophisticated juice of the grape. This is
the view taken OF the matter By the Co
vernmen of Geneva. who have forbidden
under penalties, the selling OF Currant wine
except for what it Is. But how are they
to stop the importation OF properly "mar
ried" wine, or prevent lnnkeepers who
have both sorts Of wine i'll their cellars
from mixing the one with the other, does not
quite appear--as, albeit the stuff made
from sugar and tartar reveals its true cha
racter to ordinary tests, artistic cOupdges
defy the dettpSt OF hCmiStS.
In truth, really pure unfOrtiticd wine IL
extremely difficult to obtain; for though
nobody suspects the proprietOrS OF such
vineyards us those of MargauX and Latitt6
of Sophisticating their products, the great
majority of consumers are compelled TO put
up with an article much inferior, and there
fore much more liable to be adulterated.
Ii the wines were mixed with
nothing worse than ~CurranC-Wlne, We
should, perhaps, have no serious cause OF
complaint, the cuIrant being simply a dried
grape and when "CutterS" "damp" it
with distilled water they are only restoring
to the fruit the moisture Of which it has
been deprived by the sun. But why should
not this business be done in EmgIandf
CurrantS can be obtained rs easily in this
country as in France, and W. have general
lv Il very fine crop of water. Why should
not the two be mixed, after the directions
OF NJ. Audibert, c%OlOured flor the benefit Of
G nSumers who like to fancy they are
drinking red wine), and sold as, say, "HOme-
made Claret" For people who demand q
superior article it might be married"
with a good French, or still better (as
being more likely to be genuine), with ID
good Australian wine. We commend tho
idea to the enterprising multitude who are
always ready "to go into a new thing
provided it is likely to make money. The
saving in transit. charges alOne-(the car
riage of water from the South Of France to
the shores of England must be rather ex-
pensive)-WOuld make a handsome profit,
to say nothing Of the economy that might
be effected by dispensing with the services
of French middlemen and manipulators.
1t is, of course, quite possible that this
idea has already been acted upon, to a GER
tain extent; for a dark rumOur has reached
lis Though we have not been able to trace
it to any authentic %sOurce) that a certain
London vinegar manufacturer has added
to his business the making of bogus wine