Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 24.djvu/647

Rh WINE 609 1887 to over 25,000 pipes, whilst those to France exceeded 10,000. According to the latest accounts, the Phylloxera, still continues to extend the area of its attacks, although, on the other hand, many of the abandoned vineyards are again being brought under cultiva tion ; also the number and extent of the new plantations are steadily increasing. Statistics Exportation of wine from Oporto from 1678 to 1756, when the of port- Wine Company monopoly was established : 1678-87, average 632 wine pipes per annum; 1688-97, 7668 ; 1698-1707, 7188 ; 1708-17, 9644 ; trade. 1718-27, 17,692 ; 1728-37, 19,234 ; 1738-47, 18,556 ; 1748-56, 16,354. Total, 953,362 pipes. Total exportation of wine from Oporto from 1757 to 1833, or during the existence of the Wine Company mono poly, 2,564,096 pipes. Average to Great Britain, 27,938 pipes; to rest of the world, 5362. Total, 33,300 pipes. Total exportation of wine from Oporto from 1834 to 1842 during the absence of re strictions to Great Britain, 233,469 pipes ; to continent of Europe, 11,980 ; to rest of the world, 41,600 ; total, 287,049 pipes. Average to Great Britain, 25,941 pipes per annum ; to continent of Europe, 1331 ; to rest of the world, 4622. Total exportation of wine from Oporto from 1843 to 1853 during the existence of the New &quot;Wine Company monopoly to Great Britain, 272,799 pipes ; to continent of Europe, 47,271 ; to the rest of the world, 75,197 ; total, 395.267 pipes. Average to Great Britain, 24,800 pipes per annum; to continent of Europe, 4297^ ; to rest of the world, 6836. Exportation of Wine from Oporto from 1854 to 1887, during the absence of restrictions and equalized rate of export duties to all ftarts. Year. To Great Britain. Rest of the world. Total. Year. To Great Britain. Rest of the world. Total. 1854 18(54 1874 1884 Pipes. 33,831 29,942 35,753 30,281 Pipes. 5,421 5,077 20,778 31,741 Pipes. 39,252 35,019 50,531 62,022 1885 1880 1887 Pipes. 29,050 31,407 32,052 Pipes. 35,071 43,362 39,459 Pipes. 64,727 74,829 71,511 Total 992,436 509,365 1,561,801 rade in adeinu In addition to port, a large quantity of wine is produced in other districts of Portugal, notably in the neighbourhood of Lisbon. Of these the principal are Torres Vedras, to the north of the city, where a large quantity of red wine of a coarse claret type is grown ; Collares, the vineyards of which lie beyond Cintra, and where a higher class is produced ; Carcavellos, at the mouth of the Tagus ; and Bucellas, in which a white wine is produced from the Riesling grape, known in the United Kingdom as Bucellas hock. Car cavellos yields a fuller-bodied description, which savours more of the Madeira type. There is every reason to believe that vines were introduced into Madeira soon after the discovery of the island. But it was not till some 200 years later, after the marriage of the infanta Catherine of Portugal with Charles II. of England, that British merchants established themselves at Funchal, from which point the wine trade of Madeira commenced. The system of cultivation is some what peculiar. The vines are trained over a lattice-work of cane, about 4 feet from the ground, supported on stakes, thus giving room for the vine-dresser to pass underneath and keep the ground clear from weeds. This system of keeping the ground clear and moist has much to do with the excellent character of the wine produced. An English acre can yield about seven pipes (644 gallons), but the average is considerably below this quantity. The vintage commences as a rule about the last week in August, and the grapes are all pressed before the October rains set in. This latter operation is still carried out in the primitive fashion, the fruit being thrown into large presses and trodden with the naked feet. Madeira wine improves much with age, and is occasionally to be met with from fifty to a hundred years old. The choicest descriptions are Malmsey, Sercial, Bual, and Tinta. The Jesuits at one time contrived to hold the monopoly of the Malmsey wine, and were owners of the vineyards at Cama de Lobos, in which it was produced. Of the other wines the choicest are found on the south side of the island ; but here as the elevation above the sea increases the quality falls olf. The grapes from which Malmsey is made are not gathered till a month later than those for other wines of a drier character. Sercial is also a much-esteemed wine ; it is said to combine all the attributes of a perfect wine, being full- bodied and having a rich aromatic flavour peculiar to itself. The grape from which it is produced is of the Riesling variety, and is supposed to have been transplanted from the banks of the Rhine. Bual is a very luscious wine, the produce of a white grape. Tinta, on the other hand, is obtained from a red grape, and has somewhat of the character and appearance of the wines of Burgundy, whence the vines are said to have been derived. Madeira wine became well known in England about the middle of the 18th century, when it became fashionable, owing to the strong recommendation of officers who had served in the West Indies and America. The great demand at the beginning of the 19th century caused the culture of the vine on the island to be greatly increased. The annual production must ulthnately have reached over 30,000 pipes, larger quantities of the commoner sorts being consumed on the island or turned into brandy. So much of the land indeed was under the vine that nearly all bread-stuffs had to be imported, the corn grown on the island being at that time only equal to three months consumption, whereas now, owing to the decreased number of the vineyards, it grows an amount equal to nine months requirements. In evidence of the importance which at one time attached to the Madeira wine trade, it may be mentioned that in 1799 a fleet of ninety-six ships was convoyed from Portsmouth to the port of Funchal by three men-of-war. Tb_s fleet took on to the West Indies 3041^ pipes of Madeira, partly for the supply of the West Indian colonies and partly shipped for the voyage there and back to England. For many years this practice of sending wine for a voyage to the East or West Indies and back has existed amongst the Madeira merchants. The voyage matures the wine, and at the same time gives it a peculiar bouquet and flavour, derived most probably from the intense heat of the ship s hold and the continual motion to which it is subjected. There is, however, a marked difference between wines shipped to the East and those sent to the West Indies, the only reason assign able being the difference in the length of the voyage. A custom prevails of submitting the wine, shortly after its manufacture, to a high temperature in buildings especially designed for the purpose, the result of which is the earlier development and mellowing of the wine, and the prevention of re-fermentation. The exact tempera ture to which the wines are thus subjected and the length of time depend on individual judgment, although the temperature never exceeds 130 to 140 Fahr. for inferior and 100 to 120 for better class wines. It is this process which gives Madeira its characteristic flavour, to which again its popularity in Great Britain is due. The large stone buildings, two stories high, in which this process is carried on are divided into compartments and heated by flues with hot air from stoves below. On the wines being removed after a lapse of three, four, or six months, as the case may be, they are fined and racked, a second proportion of brandy being added if necessary, and they are then left to themselves, except for an occa sional fining and racking, until they are shipped, which scarcely ever takes place before the second or third year. As long ago as 1785 the quantity of Madeira shipped to England was 120,000 gallons, which gradually increased up to 1820, when it reached 520,000 gallons. After 1852, however, this amount was greatly reduced, and, although it has again improved of late years, the quantity imported in 1885 was only 108,771 gallons. With reference to the wine trade of Madeira with all parts of the world, it appears that in 1646 as many as 2000 pipes were exported. About this time English and other foreign houses established them selves in Funchal, and it is without doubt owing to them that the culture of the vine was increased and an export trade of some im portance commenced. It was not, however, until the latter half of the 18th century that, in consequence of the wars between Franco and England and the closing of the French ports, the Madeira trade increased to large proportions. In 1774 some 7000 pipes were shipped, which by 1780 had increased to over 16,000. In 1813 it is said some 22^,000 pipes of Madeira were exported, at an average price of 300 dollars per pipe. After the war the large convoys to the East and West Indies ceased, but the Indiamen still called at Madeira on their outward voyage. Nearly all the regimental messes in the East Indies were supplied with Madeira wine, whilst large shipments were also made to America, Russia, and Germany. The taste for Madeira has of late very much died away, the cause of which must be traced to the appearance, in the spring of 1852, of the Oidium Tuckcri, which devastated the vineyards of the island. Tines were rooted up and sugar- canes planted in their stead, whilst, with production practically at a standstill, holders refused to part with their wines except at enormous figures. In consequence of these high prices Madeira was soon placed beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest classes. When in the course of time a cessation of the disease came about, the Madeira vineyards began to be re-planted, so that the produc tion of the island has again reached some 5000 to 6000 pipes annu ally, and brought about a corresponding reduction in price, genuine wine being now obtainable at considerably less than 20 per pipe. Popular prejudice is in consequence being removed, and a gradual although slow revival in the Madeira trade is taking place. Italy. In point of quantity of production, though far inferior in quality, Italian Italy ranks ahead of France. The estimated area under the vine wines, is in excess of that of France. The annual yield is some 660,000,000 gallons, valued at about 100,000,000. Whereas in France and Spain the acreage under the vine is devoted exclusively to that piant, the vine in Italy is grown simultaneously with the olive, corn, &c. The vines are simply trained on wires at some distance from the ground, and are frequently allowed to run from tree to tree, mingling in the general vegetation, nature doing so much for the vine-grower that he, in most instances, does but little to assist her. The vintage usually takes place in September and October, XXIV. 77