1899 The Mixicologist by C F Lawlor

THE MIXICOLOGIST.

97

derful natural advantages—and why? because she has taken advantage of her fitness of soil to the vine; her meteorological conditions; her geograph ical positions as regards the European markets,and incidentally those of the world, and partly to the aptitude of its inhabitants, that France developed the position which it now holds. Spain is second only in reputation to France among wine-growing countries; its white wine, known as sherry, first brought it into prominence. Sherry,so called from the town of Jerez(Xeras) de la Frontera, the headquarters of this industry. There are several different varieties of sherry, which may be divided into the Amontillado and Manzanilla classes. The Amontillado class may again be divided into fi)to and o/oroso, the former being the more delicate. The generous,full fla\-ored wines known as Port,are the produce of the district of Alto Douro, in the northeast of Portugal, and thence shipped to and from Oporto. In our own country the cultivation of the vine has made rapid progress of late years,and American wines are steedily taking the place of the foreign product. The soil and climate of the Pacific Coast seem best adapted to the growth of the vine, and wine-making is. very likely to become one of the leading industries of California. The Mission grape (being the first) is supposed to have been imported Home Industry.