Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-19
W INESss AN COMETS
RELATION Of GRAPES AND WHIT
Age 10 MErEoRs,
curiosities Of the Tasters' and Adver-
tisers' ArtLGood Names Most
5p7ts' II
Fashionable.
From the London Globe.

From the London Globe
1t has been said that good drinker
should be able at the first taste to recog-
nize the wine; at the second, the quality;
and at the third the age If any of the
genuine race of "gourmets" still survive.
they may be able to appreciate the old
formula, though it is to be feared that the
modern expert would find some difficulty In
applying it. Not that he would necessarily
be unequal to the occasion in the mere mat
ter of words Every branch of criticism
has its necessary vocabulary, and judge
or wine Is not behind his brethren In the
use OF esoteric terms of art. The ordinary
consumer contents himself with those broad
distinctions which are sufficient for every
day purposes.
Any wine merchants list will serve as an
elementary Textbook on the subject, and
the novice may edify his mind with such
approved epithets as lovely, soft, rouno,
delicate, until he is competent to pronounce
In favor of the Eight and dry of the
full and generous" But the wine faster
must be master of much more subtle ap-
probation. He knows to a nicely what
"delicacy and vinosity' denote. the precise
value OF the phrase elegant IN STYLE ana
the exact amount of body necessary to
Justify the encomium of showing great
firmness."
Well-Bred Port.
That port wine should be pronounced
'well-bred' Is in the nature Of things. Con-
sdering the good company 1t kept for so
many years any falling Off in the manners
of Old Port would be a positive calamity.
Then there is curious port, phrase
which touches the connoisseur in the one
soft spot Of his experienced incredulity.
Sound" and "old'' are responsible adjec-
tives, Indicative of vinous status OF much
seemiiness and responsibility. But curl
ous' touches higher note, and the critical
palate at once prepares itself for reVela-
tion
1t may be questioned. however, IL any Of
these epithets are so expressive and salts
flying as one which was formerly in great
vogue. Something like a century ago every
virtue and accomplishment which wine
could possess was summed up and certified
to by the term "comet wine only gem
ius could have arrived at the conclusion
that the vintage of a notable comet year
was of vastly superior quality and flavor
to that produced in ordinary seasons; and
none but an astute man of business could
have turned the discovery to profitable ac-
count In the old time comets were held
as accountable for wars, plaques, earth
quakes and other grievous troubles But by
playful wrench of fancy they were sup
posed to bring warmth and sunshine and
to bestow special fruitfuness upon the
vine. ~.
Is Comet Wines.
No one has heard Of comet cucumber
or peach season; but with regard to wine.
1t was at ONCE perceived that comet" was
first-rate word to conjure with. 1t fired
the convivial Imagination and was also Of
considerable mnemonic assistance. Thus
we read of that worthy gentleman of the
old school who vet nurses some few bot
ties of the famous comet year Of 1911, en-
phatically called comet wine" What an
enthraling subject for after-dinner chat!
How often must the wines of all ages and
countries have been discussed under the
influence of that irresistible cordial; prob
ably not without some display of the COM
parative method, in reference to the cellars
Of friends and neighbors.
Even an astronomer might have lapsed
into enthusinsnr and told how the tail of
that particular, comet was of the stupendous
length of 132.OQQO00 miles. Had it been
coiled round the earth like a serpent, 1t
would have gone round more than 5000
times" life giving blanket for the vines,
and magnificent advertisement for the
growers. Then there was the vintage of
1853. which was regarded as something
wonderful" That was the great year of
Donati's comet, the splendid appearance of
which some of us still remember. In 1861,
as we are told, the earth passed through
the tail of comet, but how the grapes of
that year were affected by the contact is
not very clear.