1880 Facts about Port and Madeira by Henry Vizetelly

26

Lisbon Wines.

west of the city, known as the Tenno, which,composed of asuc cession of hills and dales,famishes ample sites for the cultiva tion of the vine. The Termo wines,like those of Torres Vedras, owing to the variety of soils and aspects and the different systems of cultivation pursued, vary very much in character, some heing singularly robust and full-bodied, while others are thin and somewhat feeble. Higher up the Tagus, and in the direction of Bucellas, are the vineyards of Olivaes—taking its name from the abundance of olive-trees in the district— Camarate, Appella9ao, Friedas,TJnhos, and Tojal, all the wines of which go commonly under the name of Camarate and find a ready market at Lisbon as vinhos de mesa,or table wdnes. They have an agreeable flavour, and when old bear some resemblance to the unfortified wines of the Douro. In visiting this district we passed through Sacavem,a little village near the Tagus, at the entrance of the picturesque valley of Unhos,through which, a sluggish stream known as the Sacavem winds its muddy course. Here are some considerable stores for Lisbon wines belonging to Messrs. Wynn and Custance, who export largely to Hussia and the Baltic, and in a less degree to England and the Brazils. In their adegas,which present a long vista of arches, occasionally in solid masonry of immense thickness, sorue couple of thousand pipes of wine are stored,including all the wines of any note vintaged around Lisbon. Here were deep- tinted Sacavem red wines,some of them dry and clean tasting, and others extremely sweet; a rich and potent Arinto from the same vineyards,the soil of which is darker and richer than in the Bucellas district; red Lisbons and white Lisbons—the former principally designed for the Brazihan market, while dry and rich varieties of the latter are shipped to England, the more luscious qualities—soft, sweet ladies' wines—going chiefly to Russia and the Baltic. Here,moreover, was Bucellas in endless variety,the younger wines pale in colour and fresh in flavour and aroma; others more pronoimced,and even shghtly pungent in taste; and others,again,mellowed and developed by great age. Of the Carcavellos here shown to us,the wine of 1874 was soft