1872 Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks (Mixellany)

Port. 23 hope to increase the quantity of true Burgundy, of Clos Vougeot or Eomanee Conti, by turning the inferior Vins du Pays into a vat containing the pre- cious wine of the province. In the year 1703, a time when an angry feeling of hostility existed towards France, a commercial treaty was made between England and Portugal, which became known by the name of the ambas- sador who negotiated it as the Methuen treaty. This compact gave the wines of Portugal a decided advantage in the English markets, much to the dislike of good judges of the period, whose fa- vourite drink was choice Claret, with sometimes a dash of Port in it. From that date till the present time the use of Port wine has been adopted almost as our national beverage, so that English dinners were for a century and a half considered incomplete without that orthodox wine. The wines of Oporto, abounding as they do in an astringent principle, are very often used medi- cinally. Professor Brande says, that "good Port wine duly kept is, when taken in moderation, one of the most wholesome of vinous liquors : it strength- ens the muscular system, assists the digestive powers, accelerates the circulation, exhilarates the spirits, and sharpens the mental energies; but, when