1880 Facts about Port and Madeira by Henry Vizetelly

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The Vineyards and Wines of Madeira.

estufa warmed by artificial beat and an estufa do sol, deriving its wanntb, as its name impbes, exclusively from the sun,and the two holding together 350 pipes, are situated in another part of the town in full view of the open sea. We tasted at Messrs. Henriques and Lawton's stores numerous fine wines, going through the customary scale of Cama de Lohos, a series of vintages of the highest character. We then were shown, some dry and aromatic Santo-Antonios, aged six, seven, and nine years respectively; a pungent light- coloured wine,formed by the blending of a Sao Eoque and a Sercial five years old; a Sercial, aged twelve years, a great wine in full perfection; some rich oily Bual of 1872—too sweet, however, to be drunk excepting as a dessert wine; with a venerable Malmsey, vintaged forty-five years ago, of ruby brightness and rich liqueur-like flavour, and possessing an admirable bouquet. Five per cent, is the largest amount of spirit which Senhor Henriques adds to wines vintaged on the south side of the island, while wines from the north receive a slightly larger quantity. This spirit is invariably added by degrees. As in all the other Punchal stores, the pipes here remain with a vacuum equivalent to ten or a dozen gallons, which is somewhat less than the Jerez shippers allow in a butt of sherry. The yearly loss fi-om evaporation averages about 5 per cent., which, of course, tends to increase the alcoholic strength of the wine; still, Madeira is shipped at an average strength of 82 degrees of proof spirit. In one of the principal streets of Funchal, known as the Oxford-streetoftheMaderiense capital—along narrowthorough fare bordered with glaring white houses with green shutters and balconies,of much the same character as those met with through out Southern Spain—Messrs.Welsh have their stores. We pass through a broad gateway,up a long passage,into a charmingly cool garden gay with flowers and bright green foliage, and with shady walks roofed in with trellised corridors of vines. To the right are the stores, the counterpart of a Jerez bodega, long,lofty,and well ventilated,withfourlines of casks,stretching