FRENCH BRANDY.

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 575, 23 September 1869, Page 4

FRENCH BRANDY.

Cognac, with its brandy distilleries and its 24,000 inhabitants, is reported by the Hon. H. P. Vereker, her Majesty's Consul at TonnayrCharehte, t$ be one of the wealthiest towns in. the world in proportion to its size. The quantity of brandy exported from Tounay-Charente in 1868 was 9,187,816 gallons, nearly the whole of which was exported to the United Kingdom. In J863 the exportation was. only 3,988,35.8. gallons., in 3866 it reached 1 1,562,210 gallons, and in 1867 the quantity was 9,770,423 gallons. In recent years there has been a larger quantity shipped in bottle instead of in cask, and although the brandies exported in 1868 show a slight diminution [compared with 1867, yet the number of cases containing bottled brandy shipped has increased from 558,086 in 1867 to 627,603 in 1868, of which 576,982 were sent to the United Kingdom. The least quantity contained in a case is 12 bottles ; many have more, but, reckoning only 12 in each case, the exportation would imo}y.J 7,500,000 bottles. The " brandy exported from Charente in }868 is valued at L 1,887,678, of which L 1,73.3,854, 73.3, 854 was conveyed in British bottoms, and L 153 ,8/24 in foreign; the latter mostly to, Australia. Notwithstanding the slight diminution in quantity last year, there was au |a igmentation in the valup. Tbe vintage' of 1868 was severely checked by some late frosts, and the exceptionally dry summer operated in the sams direction^ but when the grape was subjected t» fibrillation the alcohol pontaincd in the juicg was found tp be ponsiderably abpvp the avprage, and the brandy produped from a given quantity proportionally larger. It is therefore believed that the exports will continue on an extensive scale in the present year.