Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-23
THE SHERRY CAPITAL
HE Torn Wtsn 4 Very PalatsDls
Wine Comes From.
onsnnvArIoss or a vInoIsIAs.
prescription Of the sherry vine-
,arss-A aaaIas Ola Cfty-An Ina
po.lns Fanerai-whnt the SPAN
lara. Think Of the Cuban war.

u the centre OF the sherry-wine INDUSTRY
tho s.sherry capital" as 81 has oeen APP
sropriate,y STYLED. The wine. In fact
takes It's name from that OF the tc"n'
which was formerly spelled "Aersz' u
.xcrox" (probably an Arabian eorrup-
t,on Of its old Roman name OF Caesa-
r<s,a and pronounced as IL u were speh-
- s.,shav-ravxb.~ with the accent on tne
,.ss sxllable the "e'' In Spanish having
.,n,ont invariably the sound OF our ions
"a |" some educated spaniards sim pro-
roonoe the name In this way, and from
:, our English word sherry Is ~eri'eo'
The accepted modern spelling, however
4, az vou see IL above--"Jerez'' Cpronounc-
"a Hay-rayth), the Spanish oeins
identical with the same letter IN tne a..
phabet az they had one) or the oo.aao
Invaders. who overthrow the honiai -
sninion in the peninsula, ano SCI w I've.
rs,, "a bo in turn overthrown themselves
An the course OF time by the Moors. ~
has the aspirated sound OF our iee'ea
.p % except that IL Is roughened py
.crt OF nasal breathing or injectloh'
xxbich we cannot even Initiate Inc an an.
dalocians OF the common ano niluul
classes. with q characteristic prVpensss'
..z'' IN the name, as they 90 IN aini me-
MI similar words, and pronounce II SIN
-, s.pav-ray." So thGg, IL you were
e. th,s country and should happen 70
e., thirsty mot an improbable supposi-
tton, and were 20 call for porte %
sherry. pronounc.ng II In the bns sr
fashion. the person receiving the -.
n a native. would not know at an w.
~-o,, wanted. unless you made your niean-
~ c,ear by sign language. To be pro
.'a,iv and promptly understood yov
pser,s,a have TO ask for vino de serez,
or as II sounds in the vernacui1f' 'e"o
de hay-ray.' .-,,r
rtfrs VINEYARDS AND THE Gel
LAR"
The sherry vineyards lie immediately
Ground the town on all sides, ann soIhe
~ them even invade Its corporate pr,
cincts. They do not, however OCCUPY o..
OF the ground, but are intersperseu e'i' onS
Acids Of wheat, barley, peas grass anu
'shsr crops An selected situations. inc
,,sht chaIky soil along the SUBMITS ana
~,,o,,er stones of the low hills, or rolii,s
s,nisnds which diversity the generaliy
,svel aspect Of the surrounding cou",is
produce the finest quality or WINE, pue
sbe Weld is not nearly so great as on tns
richer lowlands, and IN order 10 .',s.o
hotb quantity and quality. the "iie-
Growers have a system OF blending inc
eroSuce of the different soils. although
thsv make a point OF breeding some oI
the finer wines separately when tney "I VIZ
10 produce a superior or hSn-priceu al
ole The total area planted in vineyards
in the .termino de Jerez, or Jerez ois-
trict Is about 1900 acres, from Wnlen .l.e
average annual yield is about 3e.VOO bucts
~ lst American gallons each, or 5,S'O'VVo
gallons In round, numbers There are,
however. some neighboring districts-San
Linear. Port st. Mary, ana others-"ilicn
together produce about hait as nuen
,,ore. so that the total production Is from
1000 TO 5000 butts year. TINS VII, CIV
an idea of the supply OF sherry the uriiiA-
iur world has to draw upon. Tne cui'iVa,
tion OF the vineyards IS very SIMPLE dnu
I will not take up space with uescIlp-
tion OF IT, The vines are not treiiiseu OF
trained on stakes, but are cut down eacn
Year 10 the syid" OF stock, which rises
shout a foot. or a foot and half, above
the surface of the ground, ana rom
which a single shoot Is allowed 10 gro" .ne
succeeding year, the other SHOOTS peins
crit away. This single shoot. receiving
ali Of the sap OF the deeply-rooted parent
stock. grows and spreads amazingly soon
forming a thick. bunchy mass OF vines
and leaves about or feet In heisht.
The vines receive no extraneous support
until they become heavy with the ripen-
ing grapes; then their branches are prop
ned up where necessary with species
Of cane grown for the purpose and cNt TO
suitable lengths. When the "mosto," or
vo,,ne wine Is pressed out In the early
fan. II is not stored away In cellars
until the period OF fermentation
is pessed, but IS left out under
sheds. or even in the open air, until IL
he's gone through this process. 1t Is
never admitted into the cellars where the
older wines are until IL has settled
down" so 10 speak, and become compare
lively quiet; otherwise its presence among
them would excite them ALL and throw
them into greater or less agitation. The
word cellar in connection with sherry
IS a misnomer. anyway. The wine Is
not developed underground or in buildings
with cellar Easements. but wholly above
ground ia great barn-like buildings called
ssbodegas." These huge wine-barns are
the most noticeable architectural FEATURES
OF Jerez, and take UP good part OF
lts superfclal area. They are all uni
formly but one story in height, but this
one story is very lofty. and there y no
ceilinQ or flooring between the ground
aoor and the immense spreading roof,
which IL supported at intervals by rows
~ fail brick columns. succeed and white
lwsxhed. and pinned together by con-
Meeting arches at the top. In between
these columns are arranged IN regular
prder and precision the big wine-casks,
Her on tier and IN rows extending the
full length of the building. with break
ar interval here and there for transverse
massage or roadway This peculiar con-
Etruction gives very impressive effect TO
the interior of the 'bodegas," which is
heightened by the semi-darkness in which
they are always kept Some OF them
cover several acres Of ground each. and
' ttno lie saara nj y
through them for greater facility IN ship
ping OF receiving wines.
When the strong white wine known as
sherry first became generally introduced
In the markets OF the world Ia not
known definitely: but there can be no
doubt that It's production has been the
(. controlling interest OF Jerez for hun
irnds Of years, and has been the chief
source Of Its wealth as OF Its fame. IL
WAS very popular beverage In Shakes
peare's time. and he Is on record as
tectifying that another propertie of y'r
sxoeiient sherris this spellins) is
mat they warm the blood. Learned
Ben johnson also sung the praises
Of the wine with an junction. that leaves
no doubt that he was likewise perfectly
familiar with all Of It's properties" ana
their effects. From their Gay 10 this good
sherry. with SIS peculiar nutty favor. has
hccn fayorite tippie with iiterati and
people OF scholastic temperament. as
we'll rs With q respectable proportion or
the general public. Sherry-snippers now
say, however. that the trade has seen
Ito palrniest days. and that unless there
shall occur marked and favorable
cbnre OF taste IN the circles that SET the
fashion IN drinks. its future win be
merely a struggle TO hold Its present
Dos,tion IN tho battle with competing
wine. However ghat may be. and express