THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1881. COLONIAL WINE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2248, 12 May 1881, Page 1

THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1881. COLONIAL WINE.

The fillip lately given to the credit of the Australian wines should have a decided influence on those grown in this country. Too little attention has, wo think, been drawn to the wine-growing capabilities of New Zealand. Among the various efforts made to encourage local industries it cannot be said that this industry has received its fair share of patronage. And yet, if the affair were looked into, it would at once bo soon that a largo source of wealth is hero unworkod. Everybody knows what wine growing is to Trance and Germany. It is one of their main industries and the fountain of enormous national riches. Passing through those countries whole districts are soon covered with tho vino, and fortunes are made out of portions of i land ridiculously small. In Australia and Now Zealand several things stand in

the way of the thorough adoption }iy thoir populations of tho winos of tlieir 1 countries. In too many eases tho ro- 1 quisito knowledge is not brought to hear j by tho vignoron on the growing of | tho grapo or tho production of tho wino. But, undoubtedly, the greatest stumbling-block to tho industry is tho wido-spread prejudice against colonial wines. And it is in this connection that wo have more particularly drawn attention to this subject. Would-be connoisseurs have not hesitated to state that tho best of Australian wines do not come up to the medium, and oven inferior, wines grown in Europe. There is a sort of stigma attached to the host who offers his guests colonial wine. He may place on his table doctored beverages purporting to come from some out-of-the-way place in Franco, and the convivial, but ignorant, creatures partaking of his hospitality will smack their lips, look wise, and discourse volubly in a peculiar jargon affected by the knowing ones. But ask these gentlemen to apply that peculiar jargon to Australian wines, and their noble souls would revolt at the profanity of wasting thoir sweet nothings on such an unworthy subject. Now, wo should much like to draw tho attention of these knowing ones to what has of late been going on in Melbourne. Tho Emperor of Germany offered, as a prize to the most meritorious wine exhibit of a colonial exhibitor, a spendid service of plate. Professor Rouleaux was appointed tho Emperor’s representative, and ho awarded it to Messrs do Castella and Rowan. At the time of giving the award the Professor drew attention to tho excellence of many of the Australian wines, and sta'ed his belief that, in course of time, the wines of Germany and Franco would bo quite shut cut from tho colonial markets. The jurors’ report on these particular wines says : “ In conducting the trials, wo (the jurors) were instructed to mark our appreciation of the various qualities by numbers, 21 and 20 being the highest class, 19 and 18 tho second, 17, 16, and 15 tho third, and so on; so it was manifestly impossible to place any Australian wines on a par with the very best wines of France and Germany, which may be considered beyond classification.” Now here is the opinion of experts—of gentlemen who have made wine-tasting a profession. They have placed it on record that some, not only ef Messrs de Castella and Rowan’s wines, but of other vintages, have fairly gained 19 out of a possible 21 marks, and this, in face of the fact that much of it was selling at 25s a dozen, as against 100 s and fancy prices given for tho European wines. The jury further make the following observation well worthy of note :—“ To have received second awards in competition with tho choicest crus which could be furnished by the whole of Europe, appears to ns to establish this very important fact, namely, that the wines of St. Hubert (the vineyard of Messrs, de Castella and Rowan) stand upon the same level as tho best wines in the world, with the single exception of those exceedingly valuable kinds which are beyond the reach of all but wealthy connoisseurs.” It is to be trusted that tho facts mentioned above will have some influence in removing the senseless prejudice which at present weighs so heavily on the colonial wine industry. That New Zealand can produce wines not inferior to those made in Australia has been amply proved by the samples brought down from the North Island and sold among us. The firm establishment of the industry is no doubt a mere matter of time, but in the meanwhile we are sending thousands of pounds out of the country for the purchase of an article that we might just as well produce ourselves. In this country are to be found the climate and soil necessary for success. It is hard if the more intelligent and the richer part of the population bar tho progress of an industry that might speedily become a source of great national wealth. And in connection with wine growing it may be mentioned that M. G. Berger, Commissioner-General in Paris for tho Melbourne Exhibition, has communicated with Australia pointing out the possibility of cultivating a wino trade with France for blending purposes. Colonial wines, it appears, possess certain qualities which may render them useful for blending. M. Berger suggests that samples of tho various kinds of wine grown should be forwarded to the Chambers of Commerce in the principal wine districts in France. There appears to be no particular reason why an extensive trade in this direction should not be carried on. There can be no doubt but that a good deal of attention has, through the proceedings at the Melbourne Exhibition, been directed to the whole question of the wine industry in Australia. It is to be hoped that a portion of tho good done may be reflected on this country.

CITY SUBURBS. The growth of the suburbs of the City of Auckland has led to much the same state of affairs as is to be found here. The wants of the suburbs are seen to have altogether outgrown the means provided for their proper regulation, but the feelings of false thrift that influence the residents in our suburbs weigh upon the suburban residents in the northern city. They object to paying the rates imposed upon those resident within the present boundaries of the city. A northern journal points out, however, that the amendment to the Municipal Corporations Act provides that suburban districts joining any city or borough shall only necessarily pay the general rate, and that can never exceed Is in the £ on the rateable value of the property. Singularly enough, many residents in the neighbourhood of Christchurch pay just as heavy rates as those in the city itself, without any of the advantages connected with living within a municipality. For the benefit of suburban readers we may mention that the rates at present collected by the City Council are :—General rate, 1s ; special drainage rate, 2d ; Waimakariri rate, 2d ; water rate (in a portion of the city only), 1-J-d. In addition to these there is the equivalent to the scavengering rate, viz,, £1 6s per annum for every pan attended to. It is, wo fear, this last item that frightens many of the suburban residents. But is not cleanliness next to godliness ?