The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-12-09
THE VINEYARDS OF LONDON.
Their Output Is Characterised as Her-
rible and Deadly.

From the London Mail
Today Is the first day OF the wine
fakir. Never before IN the history OF
the trade have his devices been so nu-
merous and his concoctions SO villain
Gus Never before, too. have his prof
its been more satisfactory. So long
as there is demand for fullbodied
= Bursundies" and '-clarets" at. say. IS
a dozen, that demand will be supplied.
There is a vast difference between
fabricated and adulterated wine. The
latter is generally pretty easy TO deal
with. Fabricated wine is far more diff
hcult Of detection.
Here we have concoction OF more
or less chemical nature. which is de-
signed with the express idea of close
" initiating the genuine wine in color,
bouquet and taste. One favorite fabfi-
cation consists OF 90 per cent Of water.
5 l-2 per cent of alcohol and IL per
cent of tannin. The two latter ingre-
dents are obtained from the cheapest
form of imported raisins-squeezed
grape husks which have already done
genuine service in some French wine
press. They cost next TO nothing 70
import. are refermeuted here in Eng
land. and their Juice" is eked out
with the aid Of Jartaric acid and mo-
lasses. Consequently the maker is en-
abled TO sell his decoction at the ride
ulously low price of about Is I'd per
gallon. and at the same time to make
an excellent profit upon the transac-
ton. Much of this beverage first sees
the light in or near London.
The retailer sells il again at about
2s Sd per gallon; or. IL bottled and
beautifully sealed and cobwebbed. at
the considerably enhanced price 81.
say. sixpence per pint bottle-"Our
famous sd claret."
A particularly pungent revelation OF
The beauties of certain British light
wines was afforded the food preserya-
tives committee by Prof. ". H. Cor
] field. This scientist. who is consulting
sanitary adviser to her majesty's office
of works. stated that he commonly
found salicylic acid in these ''vint-
ages" Salicylic acid. added he. for
the benefit of his non-scientific hear
ers. was slightly acrid. irritating sub
stance which was much in demand
among afflicted people as corn sol
vent,
A fabricated sherry which can he
sold at a good profit for is per bottle
is prejared from cider-and mare noT
ious things. Champagne" which IS
also better left untouched. is prepared
by the willy fabricator.
Whatever the shortcomings of the
British wine fakir. and they are many.
it is certain that for sheer audacity he
must yield the palm TO his Teutonic
competitors. In the city of Hamburg
alone il is possible to purchase imita-
lions OF practically every wine and
spirit under the sun, at prices before
which the British wine fakir must
stand aghast.
| With spirits, however. the palate IS
better guide British East Ind
house was recently offered by Ham
/ burg exporters. whiskey at IS II IL
per case, and brandy at IS 10d. This
is the sort of poison OF which Germany
annually supplies upward of millions
worth to the Niger Coast Protestorate
The liquor is the most villainous po-
/ tato spirit. carefully disguised by
strong essences ana sham labels.
France is not less culpable. She
only produces about 10000 hectoliters
of genuine French brandy. yet she ex-
ports about 100000 hectoliters. in adj
dltion to the 1000. 900 consumed in her
own land,
During the past few months. how
ever. the consumer of alcohol has
been brought face to face with yet an
other fearful source for his fayorite
beverages. Thanks to the energetic
researches of DIR. Simonson of Chris
tiania. il is now possible to produce
alcohol from both paper and sawdust