Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-26

Thoughts he had done great thint
when, some years ago, he bough
at a city sale, regardless Of the
city maximum cGUeGt emptOr, some
eases of Mouton Rothschild a
66s or about $16. He produced some a
a dinner, but noticed with alarm, thai
the son of peer who had "gone into
wine" in the city, did not consume the
whole of his gassful. Presently he took
the young lord to one side Didn't you
like that claret-Mouton Rothschild, you
know? Bought it myself in Mincine
lane" "Ah, yes, | thought SO" was the
reply; "don't be offended if l say will
sell you better wine, and you can call il
anything you like, at 305 dozen, in orr.
ginal cases. l suppose the catalogue had
the usual condition-that no responsible
ity for description was accepted by the
auctioneers? And it was even SO. A
medium priced claret, like pontel cantet
is far safer than one of great fame,
unles the latter be guaranteed
by firm of first rate standing.
Next to claret, sherry is the victim OF
concoction. Plenty of good sherry is to
he got, but nine-tenths of the sherry in
England has either been made from silent
spirit, or, if it is wine at all, has been doc
tored, and its acidity partially neutralized
by plaster of paris. At good tables, one
glass with soup is all that is seen, but as
in America, very great quantity of it is
drunk by commercial men. Indeed in GER
tain trades in the city of London bargain
is hardly deemed bargin until bottle
of sherry has been devoted to its ratifca-
ton. Complaint has been made of its
custom in what are called Manchester
warehouses, OF, as we say, drygoods
houses, but It extends far beyond that
class OF business, and the result may be
seen in the suburban evening trains,
when men who have been "nipping"
sherry all day go to sleep as they make
for home. Nor is this effect wholly
due to alcohol. Whisky and water of
the came strength would be far
less harmful, for the "favoring" or
refining" process often involves use of
drugs, especially in that variety of
sherry which is called "nutty," and
which is said often to derive its flavor
from old boots. Any one who, having a
palate in his mouth, has tasted sherry as
it lies in the great vaults of the London
docks, will know the difference in a Sec
ond between pure sherry and a sherry
for eale. But even there "things isn't as
they used to be-" for dealers are just
as skillful at Port st. Mary or Cadiz,
as they are in London in the imitation of
the wine which takes its name from
Here's (or Jeres) de la Frontera. A
glance at the map is as good as thou
sand demonstrations of the fact that not
one bottle out of dozen of the fluid sold
as sherry, can come from the very linn
tied part of the province of Cadiz. Much
mansala goes as sherry, and it is well
when it is no worse. Indeed, it is hardly
going too far to say that five per
cent. of the sherry drinkers have ever
tasted the pure article, which would not
itself to the liking of one in
hundred of them. All sherry, as sherry
is known in the market, is more or less
made up, or it would not bear the sea
Still, the addition of
little good brandy to make the wine
keep, is very different thing from the
of sub.acid compound
such as is by far the greater part of ex-
isting commercial sherry.