THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1882. THE WINE TRADE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2604, 11 August 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1882. THE WINE TRADE.

It is very desirable that the colonists o£ New Zealand should keep their eyes fixed on the English wine trade. As to the suitability of many parts of this colony to vine growing there can be to doubt whatever. Both the soil and the climate are eminently suited for that industry. Not only in the North Island, bat in many parts of the South Island, could wine of a very superior quality be raised. The samples we have had down from the Wanganui district show what might be done if the culture of the vine were gone in for thoroughly. The Australian wiue shown at tho Bordeaux Exhibition has completely opened the minds of connoisseurs to its purity and excellence. In England all the leading papers have called attention to the Australian vintages, and have commented moat favourably on them. And the time is now peculiarly favourable for extended enterprise in thia direction. As is well known, it was in 1860 that Mr. Gladstone, with the view of checking the intemperate habits of the English people, reduced to a low figure the duties on French wines. This was done because the wine was at that time generally pure, and reached England in an unfortified state. Other countries that grew stronger wines were dissatisfied at the arrangement. They argued that they could cease to fortify their wines, but that, even then, the natural strength of them would be above tho maximum favored by the English Premier. They endeavored to show, moreover, that wine as long as it is pure, is always wholesome, and they applied, too, for a remission of the duty. But Mr. Gladstone did not

g take in their reasoning, and for many years the light wines of France were alone admitted at the lower duty rate. But then came the phylloxera, and'the vineyards of France were desolated. Nover--3 theless the export of wine to England con- * tinned unabated. And why p Simply because adulteration was extensively carried on. A crude material was introduced from e abroad, and then diluted and doctored 1 to represent the real thing. But the j French Commercial Treaty was then in a full swing, and no ngly questions were asked. Our exporters had sufficient influence to burke the inquiry, because they wished to stand well with our neigh- . hors. So that English consumers eheer- '» fully drank a beverage concocted, to a ■ large extent, of currants, figs, and 7 Jamaica rum, and the by no means disj agreeable fluid that can be brewed from . beet-root as a base, and flavored with the ; real article. Moreover, net merely adulterated wine, but fabricated wine found its way into the market, and even pushed hard the trade in countries where there are plenty of vineyards. Now adulterated wine can he detected, hut the fabricated contains all the constituents of real wine, and the most careful analyst can find nothing in it that does not appear in the fermented juice of the grape. It is composed of 90 per cent, of water, 5 to 6 per cent, of alcohol, and 4 to 5 per cent, of tannin. The manufacturer can make this article at a very low figure, and the retail dealer profits in like proportion. The bouquet of this concoction is certainly not all that can bo desired, but still many good wines lack in this essential. To be sure only red wines can be imitated in this way, but the time may come when white wines will find a somewhat similar substitute. All this the wine growers in Switzerland have found out to their cost. They are almost driven off the field in their own country, where every proprietor and peasant is more or lees interested in ■ the culture of the vine. Taking all this into consideration it is very evident that 1 th eprestige of French wine must havo ‘ suffered severely, and a coresponding j opening occurs for other countries. Besides > the French Commercial Treaty is now a 1 thing of the past, so that the vested interests we have already alluded to no c longer stand in the way. But it is J evidently a sine qua non that new wine t growing countries should be careful not t to adulterate their wines, but to establish I a good name for importing the real * article. The Australians must not follow the mistake made by South Africa, where the fortifying of wine has had such an t injurious effect on its reputation as a wine * growing country. 11 And besides all this, as is pointed out - by the “New Zealand Herald,” another I J opening presents itself which is pocu- * liarly adapted to Australia and New C Zealand. The English Government has f decided to substitute claret in future for | the present allowance of beer to the S army in India. The former is proved ? to be much less injurious than the latter f in hot climates. It nourishes the blood r withontaffecting the brain. Andwhenoneo introduced the better class of natives, q both in India, China, and Japan, may T take 4o this wholesome beverage. Now the geographical position of the Aus-

trali as ahonld naturally throw this market viticulturists hers, the oiaases alluded to above take wine and approI many excellencies, and a great stefp will have been made. They cannet wine themselves, because their climate is not adapted to the growth of ®h‘ vine. But here we have all theu&eessary requisites, and it will be our own fault if we let the opportunity slip. We trust to see for the future more serious attempts to make vino growing a permanent industry than have hitherto been made. Capital and skill are required, but these ought not to be difficult to procure. As wa stated above, it is not only in. the North Island that vine growing might profitably be entered into. The climate of some of the districts in Germany where the industry is most successfully carried on is decidedly a hard one—far harder than in most parts of this island. Were skilled viticulturists, for instance, to utilise the many advantages of Akaroa who can doubt of a great success? The wine from that locality has hitherto been a hy-word, simply because all known principles of wine making have been violated. The field is open to the enterprising; England is commencing to realise the excellent qualities of Australian wine, influential men are endeavoring to establish a permanent market there, and, finally, there is the new departure made in the East Indies to back up local enterprise. We trust that all these considerations will enter into the calculations of men of experience, skill, and capital, and we shall not fear for the result. That i result will be most beneficial to all classes of the community. A large revenue should accrue to the colony, and last, hut not least, we should drink onr own pure unadulterated wines instead of the adulterated mixtures which we at present so much affect.