1827 Wine and spirit adulterators unmasked

The Wine, (if now brought over to the London Docks, advertised at so cheap a rate, and so conveniently situated for re-shipment to France, should the Dealers be so unsuccessful as not to find people foolish enough to become purchasers, is, as I have satisfactorily as- certained from the best authority, which must quite refute the silly assertions and borrowed ex- planations, made use of in our modern cheap Wine advertisements, nothing more, than a compound of the refuse of various French Wines, thrown to- gether, with a portion of French Cyder, which, though comparatively an expensive ingredient, is admirably adapted for the purpose of giving an ap- pearance of body ; to this is added, as some further qualification, a proportionate quantity -of what is termed ' third quality wine,'* a description, which, * The class -of Wine here referred to, as forming a component part of the mixture which is now shipped for Claret to this coun- try by some of our advertising dealers, may in some measure be estimated from the manner in which the manufacture of it is per. formed in France. At the proper season of the year, when the grapes have arrived at maturity, they are gathered, and deposited in large vats. The juice which is detached from them by their own pressure, and which runs into a vessel placed to receive it, constitutes the base of that which the vintners term the 'first quality' and is carefully secured in separate utensils, the utmost attention being paid to its fermentation and subsequent treatment. After this vinous liquid has drained from the vat, till no more can be obtained, a number of men are employed in that vessel to tread out the grapes which have been deposited therein, which process is performed with the naked feet ! and without even the slightest arrangement as to cleanliness the necessity of which, when it is it can be so called) which is