1880 Facts about Port and Madeira by Henry Vizetelly

Conients.

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XI.—^Eldebberries and Logwood—Gtenerai. Remarks ABOUT Port Wine. JLord Lytton's Reckless Assertions regarding Port Wine Confuted—Elder berries not Used for Dyeing the Wine—Geropi^ often ilised with Low- class Ports—Logwood incapable of Deepening the Colour of Port Wine—The amount of Spirit usually Added to Port—High Alcoholic Strength which the Alto Douro Wines will naturally develop—Evapo ration of tho watery parts of Wine in warm,dry Climates—Alto Douro Wine mode without Adventitious Spirit—Wine of this character not likely to supersede Port of the established type—Frequent changes of in the style of Port Wme hine Old Tawny Ports and tlieir Cheaper Substitutes—La^g down Port Wiue—Mr.T. G.Shaw's sug- „eations for bringing it forward rapidly in Bottle—Burrow's patent "SUder" Wine-bms 140 part III.—THE "VINEYARDS AND WINES OP MADEIRA AND TENERIFE. X.—The Voyage to Madeira—The Vintage at Santa Cruz and Sao Joao. Early Renown of tho Wine of Madeira—Voyage to the Island on board the African—Leave-takings at Southampton—The Steamer touches at Plymouth—Our Fellow-Passengers—Cape Town Snooks and Crawfish— Story of Chief Engineer Jones's Remarkable Find—WesightPorto Santo and then Madeira—Appearance of the latter from the Sea—Amphibious Madeirense—Ox Sledges and Cars—Boat Excursion to Santa Cruz— Messrs.Krohn'sVineyardthere—System of Trainingthe Vines—Gathering and Treading the Grapes—The Pleasant Proximity of a Shark—Ride to the Quinta do Moute-;-The Vintage in Mr. LeacocVs Vineyard at Sao Joilo—Treatment of Vines attacked by the Phylloxera and the Oidium— Treading and Pressing the Grapes—A Treader Flung Across the Vara . 149 The Vineyards of Sao Mabtinho,Cama de Lobos, the Estreito, Quinta Grande, Santo Antonio, and others. A.Sledge Descent to Funohal—Excursion with a Party in Hammocks to the Vineyards on the South Side of the Island—^Meet some Boracheiros bringing down Newly-made Wine in Skins—The District of Sao Mar- tinho The Ravine of the Ribeiro dos Sooeorridos—View from the Peak of Cama de Lobos—Its Vineyards destroyed by the PhyUoxera—Break fast at a Dame's School—The Vineyards of the Estreito—We cross the Ribeiro de Vigario—Ascend to the Summit of Gabo Girao,the Highest Chlf against which the Sea Dashes in the World-—Have Luncheon there, and our Bearers take their Siesta—Steep and Difficult Descent to Cama de Lobos—We return by Punehal by Boat^Dangerous Eddy off Pouta da Cruz—Excursion on Horseback to the Vineyards of the Santo Antonio District—The Madeira Mirantes or Look-out Places—Scanty Raiment worn by the Children—The Many Hundred Miles of Terraced Walls at Madeira—Tenure of Land in the Island—Bent Paid in Kind—Senhor Salles's Vineyard—We visit the Vineyard known as Mae dos Homens,or Mother of Men, in a Bullock-car—Find the Animals more Patient and Quiet than their Excitable, Noisy Drivers—The Principal Vineyards on 'the North Side of the Island . . •. . . • . . .161