1880 Facts about Port and Madeira by Henry Vizetelly

The Villa Nova Wine Lodges—Vintage Ports. 129

new wine on its arrival is poured, thence to be conveyed by means of a steam-pump into tbe numerous large vats ranged down one of tbe aisles. In front of tbe lodge is a steam ■cooperage, wbere a sixteen-borse engine sets in motion saws wbicb divide tbe planks into tbree, reduce tbe staves to tbeir proper length, give to tbe beads of tbe casks tbeir circular form, and neatly bevel tbeir edges. There are also cuttingmachines, certain parts of wbicb perform tbeir 3,000 revolutions a minute, wbicb, after rougb-sbaping tbe staves, finish them off and bevel tbeir joints, and finally give them tbeir convex and concave form. Here, too, the rougb-sbaped staves are steamedina tank to extract all colouring matter and fiavour from tbe wood, tbe completed pipes being also sbgbtly steamed in order to detect any imperfections in tbem. A crane is employed for letting down tbe casks to a long store, situated on a lower level, where they undergo tbe requisite seasoning with wine. In accordance, however, with tbe prevailing practice,many of tbe pipes are sent up tbe Douro without being previously seasoned to bring down tbe new wine. bfewly-vintaged wine may be placed with impunity in perfectly new casks, but not so tbe older growths, tbe flavour of wbicb would be seriously impaired if tbe pipe contained even a single new stave. Seasoned pipes intended for tbe shipment of wine are invariably pulled to pieces and made up again before being used. Silva andCosens store tbeir finest wines, with those of Messrs. Dow, whose business they bad acquired shortly before our visit, in some old-fashioned lodges with blackened walls and pointed roofs, supportedby heavy,untrimmedchestnut beams. A variety of wines of both firms were here shown to us, including several sunerior vintage growths, of wbicb those of Messrs. Dow proved dry and full of flavour, and tbe others rich and more or less aromatic. Of tbe shipping wines we tasted some were full, fruity, and deep-coloured, others being bgbt of body and tawny in tint, while tbe fine old wines, kept up principally on tbe solera system, and used exclusively for imparting character to younger growths, exhibited a sub-pungency such as sherry and madeira