1880 Facts about Port and Madeira by Henry Vizetelly

Some other Funchal Wine-Stores.

197

from one end to the other, nearly the whole of them filled with the better sort of wines. Before the time of the oidium the firm did a very large business in cheap light Madeiras, at as low a price as <£12 and <£15 a pipe; and in 1849 succeeded in raising itself to the head of the Madefra shipping list. Now, however, it cares less for business in the cheaper wines, and confines itself almost exclusively to shipping the more costly growths,sending the latter largely in bottle to the United States and other markets. The Messrs. Welsh prefer to mature their wines in the estufas do sol rather than in those artificially heated. Another English shipping house, Messrs. E.Donaldson and Co.,ships only high-class wines matured by naturalin prefei'ence to artificial heat,, or, better than all, ripened by time. In the airy and capacious stores of the firm we found Cama de Lobos of 1872 and 1866,the latter a high-flavoured yet delicate wine, and beautifully soft and aromatic; a Porta da Cruz of 1876 and 1872, the first entirely without added spirit, grapy alike in flavour and bouquet, and the last,which had matured simply by age, dry,light, and delicate, and possessing an agreeable fresh ness. A blend composed of Sao Martinho and Santo Antonio of the year 1872 was especially soft, with a very aromatic bouquet; while a Sao Martinho of 1869-70 proved equally delicate and fragrant. On the whole the wines of this firm were exceedingly interesting. The largest of the native shipping houses at Eimchal is that of Meyrelles, Sobrinho e Cia., in which Senhor Salles, whose vineyard at Santo Antonio we have already described, is a leading partner. The numerous stores of the firm are scattered in different parts of the town. The central estabhshment is in the vicinity of the cathedral, while another range of stores is close to the palacio and facing the sea, and others, again, are situated more in the centre of Punchal. The firm also possess an estufa do sol, constructed of iron and glass,in which a tem perature of 130 degrees is secured. Highly picturesque are the ancient central stores with their rows of venerable butts filled