More generous than the wines of Bordeaux, it has been the drink of Kings
and Popes, and perhaps no vineyard has a similar honour done it as that
of Clos-Vougeot (Napoleon’s favourite wine); for when a French regiment
marches past that celebrated vineyard, it halts, and presents arms.
On the golden slope—the Côte d’Or—is grown this wine of Burgundy, and
the _vignerons_ divide the district into two parts, the Côte de Nuits
and the Côte de Beaune, the first of which produces the finest wines,
from Vosne especially, whence come Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, Richebourg,
Romanée-St. Vivant, La Grande Rue, Gaudichat, Malconsort, and others;
but of all these Romanée Conti is king. Unfortunately the yield of this
vineyard is very small, and genuine Romanée is seldom to be met with.
But there are plenty of good wines to be bought at moderate prices,
those of Chambertin, Volnay, Beaune, Mâcon, and Beaujolais. Chief among
the white Burgundies is Chablis; but there are other sorts, not half
enough drank in England—Mâcon, Pouilly, Meursault, Chevalier-Montrachet,
Montrachet-Ainé, and many other fine white wines. Sparkling Burgundy is
not to be despised.
The Côtes du Rhone produce fine wines, too, such as Hermitage, Côte
Rôtie, Condrieu, and St. Peray; but of these, perhaps, Hermitage red and
white are best known to us.
Much wine is made in the South of France, in the departments of the
Hérault, the Gard, the Aude, and the Pyrenées-Orientales, whilst
Languedoc has always been famous for its wines, which are very similar to
some Spanish varieties. Roussillon is nearly as good as Burgundy, and,
after being manipulated at Cette, is often palmed off as “Vintage Port,”
and the Muscat wines of the Hérault and the Pyrenées-Orientales are
particularly luscious, especially those from Lunel.
Some wines come from Corsica, but they do not find their way, as such,
into the English market; no doubt, though, but we have them in some
shape, for the mystifications of the wine trade are stupendous, and, to
an outsider, unfathomable.
J. A.
[Illustration]
GERMANY: Rhine Wines—Heidelberg
Tun—Hock—Stein-wein—Asmannhäuser—Straw Wines—Goethe’s
Opinion of Wine GREECE: Verdea—Vino Santo—The Wine of Night.
HUNGARY: Maszlacz—Tokay—Carlowitz—Erlauer. ITALY: Monte
Pulciano—Chianti—Barolo—Barbera—Montefiascone—Lacryma Christi,
etc. MADEIRA: Malvasia—Tinta—Bual, etc. PERSIA: Shiraz.
GERMANY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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