Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 24.djvu/648

Rh 610 WINE and, except in Sicily and some of the southern provinces, the system employed is somewhat rude in comparison -with those of other nations. Yet considerable improvement has taken place during the last few years. Greater attention is being paid to the selection of suitable plants, whilst on the larger estates modern wine-presses and utensils are coming into use, and the necessity of care and cleanliness for the production of good wine is beginning to be better understood. Amongst the chief faults still noticeable, but remediable with cultivation and care, are a strong flavour peculiar to the soil and a disposition on the part of the proprietors to over- Alcoholize wines destined for exportation. In many instances also the grapes are gathered indiscriminately, often before they are ripe, whilst the quality is also frequently further damaged by want of attention and cleanliness in treatment. There can be no doubt that with proper treatment the wines of Italy would hold a much higher position than they do at present, the exports being, so far, trilling compared with the amount of production, and consisting to a great extent of Sicilian wines. Of the wines of northern Italy the best known descriptions are perhaps those of Montferrat and Asti. These are mostly light in colour, hard, and somewhat diffi cult to keep. Some of the white -wines of this district are very good. A large quantity of sparkling wine is also produced. The general nature of the soil is extremely fertile and the climate moderate, so that everything points to northern Italy as very suit able for wine production. In central Italy the best wines are those of Montepulciano, Chianti, Pomino, Montalcino, and Carmignano. The greater proportion of the wine made here is from the province of Tuscany, which is also a very suitable one for the vine. These wines have considerable alcoholic strength, and are fit for consump tion in about six to twelve months after the vintage, attaining per fection in two years. The price usually varies from lid. to 2s. lid. per gallon, according to growth. The wines of Montepulciano have a brilliant purple colour and a luscious flavour, although not cloy ing to the palate, their sweetness being generally tempered with an agreeable sharpness and astringency. The rocky hills of Chianti near Siena furnish another description of red wine, which is also sweet, but less aromatic. An excellent wine of the claret type is produced at Artimino. But perhaps the choicest wines grown in Italy are those of the Neapolitan district. Of these the best known are the Lacryma Christi a red wine of good bouquet and an elegant taste, several descriptions of good class Muscat wine, and also a de scription of Malvoisie. These three sorts are the produce of vines grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius nearest the sea. Of the Lacryma Christi only a small quantity is made, but many of the second-rate wines of the neighbourhood take the name and pass in common for the growth. Until recently the greater portion of the wines exported by Italy to other countries were for blending purposes. Lately, however, there has been a marked improvement in this respect, and a con siderable quantity of wine is now exported in bottle. A trade of some importance is being developed with the United States, the imports in 1887 having amounted to 26,340 dozen bottles and 71,020 gallons in bulk. Sicilian. The principal wine produced in Sicily is that grown in the neigh bourhood of Marsala, from which town it takes its name. The character of the wine is somewhat after the style of Madeira, it having good bouquet and improving with age. It is the result of a mixture of various kinds of grapes carefully selected, amongst which are included the usual Madeira varieties. Thanks to the care bestowed upon its production, Marsala has of late years ac quired considerable reputation. The vintage usually takes place about the third week in September, which, although somewhat late for so southern a latitude, allows the grapes to mature thoroughly, whilst all the rotten ones are carefully picked out before the fruit is put into the press. The shippers usually arrange to purchase the vintage from the growers, subject to the condition that the wine is made in a certain manner. The must is collected in large casks capable of holding about 250 gallons each, in which it is allowed to ferment. The system pursued in the preparation of Marsala, as in the case of other strong wines, consists in the addi tion of a certain quantity of spirit, according as the wine is intended for shipment to England or for consumption in Italy, the former being generally brought up to a strength of 33 to 35, or about 5 more than that reserved for home consumption, the extra strength being to enable the wine to stand the sea voyage. Taken generally, there is very little difference between the qualities of the different growths of Marsala ; in fact, where the system of fortifying and sweetening is properly carried out and the best description of finings used to reduce the reddish tint found in most of the wines, it is almost impossible when the wines are two or three years old to detect any great variation, whilst such a thing as bad Marsala can scarcely be said to exist. Formerly all Marsala wines judged not sulliciently good for consumption as such were made into spirit for fortifying the better description ; but, since the Italian Govern ment have raised the duty on alcohol, a different system is adopted. The inferior class of must is not now fermented, but is reduced by evaporation to about two-thirds of its original bulk, thus forming a sort of essence. This essence is added to the wine intended for consumption in the proportion of from 5 to 10 per cent, at the com mencement of the fermentation. Within about two months of the first drawing-off of the wine the contents of each cask are carefully examined, and all which may be considered not sufficiently good for Marsala is set aside ; and this operation is repeated in March or April. Immediately after the next vintage it is examined for the third time, after which it is fined and drawn off into large vats capable of holding up to 18,000 gallons each. These vats, like the Spanish soleras, are never entirely emptied, a certain quantity of old wine being allowed to remain in them, which gives the new wines the bouquet and character peculiar to true Marsala. A ustria-Hungary. Of the Austrian-Hungarian empire Hungary, from a viticultural Hun- point of view, forms by far the most important part. The quantity garian. of wine produced in that country has assumed of late years con siderable proportions, the white wines being both greater in quan tity and of better description than the red. Inclusive of Croatia and Slavonia, it is estimated that there arc in Hungary upwards of 1,000,000 acres of vineland, producing annually some 250,000,000 gallons of wine, the value of which is estimated at over 16,000,000. The wines of central Hungary are strong, and include white varieties varying in colour from a light to a deep yellow tinge, as well as wines of considerable depth of colour. Those of the south of Croatia are as a rule less strong, but are for the most part of a deep colour and are generally known as black wines. The produce of Transylvania ranks extremely high, and is for the most part white, although some excellent red wines are grown. The strength of Hungarian wines is moderate, that of Tokay being from about 20 to 25 per cent, of proof spirit, whilst Carlowitz averages from 24 to 25. The other descriptions generally have a less alcoholic strength. Foremost among the wines of Hungary is the sweet Tokay, grown in the submontane district around the town of Tokay, which covers a space of about 20 square miles. Throughout the vhole of this district it is the custom to collect the grapes only when they have become dry and sweet, almost like raisins. The fruit is gathered separately and the best wine made from selected grapes. The grapes are first put together in a cask, in the bottom of which holes are bored to let that portion of the juice escape which will run away without pressure. This i^ :ms the highest quality. The grapes are then squeezed for the ordinary wine. In abundant years the yield of Tokay reaches nearly 2,000,000 gallons, of which about 15 per cent, are of really superior quality, and of this about one-fifth is classified as extra fine. The three classes of Tokay are known as essenlia, ausbruch, and mdslds, the first-named being the yield of the juice taken without pressure. It is, however, so scarce that it never appears in the market. The vineyards of Menes (in the county of Arad) produce a sweet red wine. Carlowitz is produced farther south, on the banks of the Danube, some 40 miles north-west of Belgrade. It has somewhat of the character of port wine, although more astringent and lacking in fruitiness. Many of the Hungarian vineyards also produce Muscat-flavoured wines which are highly appreciated. The vintage in Hungary lasts from the commencement of October to the end of November, and for the most part is conducted on an imperfect principle, although great improvements have been introduced of late years. The grapes are crushed by the feet in some places, whilst in others a kind of mill is used, and in others again they are pressed in sacks. The wine is usually prepared in wooden utensils, generally made on the spot, the trade of the cooper being but little known. The system of carrying on the fermentation in closed barrels is not alwaj s adopted, and the wine is frequently spoilt by not being drawn off in time. Next to Hungary the principal vine-growing district of the empire IXilma is Dalmatia, in which the vine culture has of late increased to an tian. enormous extent. Fifty years ago the vine was scarcely grown, except in the islands and on the sea-coast ; but it has now pene trated into the interior, and occupies about one-twentieth part of the soil under cultivation. The Dalmatian wines, which are almost entirely red, have generally full colour and contain a high degree of alcohol, whilst they also possess a good body and bouquet, re sembling in a great measure the wines of Burgundy. The average annual production is 22,000,000 gallons, of which only about 4,000,000 are exported ; but this branch of the trade is gradually increasing. Defective cellarage, imperfect fermentation, and general ignorance as to manipulation prevented the development of the wine trade of Dalmatia for many years ; but these defects have of late been in a great manner remedied by the action of the Austrian Government in educating the proprietors in this respect. The best wines produced in the province are Moscato Roso, Vino Taitaro, Prosecco Vugova, Maraschino, and Malvasia. Germany. German wines, generically spoken of as Hock and Moselle, are Rhine the products of the most northern latitude of successful vine-culture wines, in Europe. To this circumstance must be attributed the fact that