VICTORIAN WINE.

West Coast Times, Issue 175, 11 April 1866, Page 3

VICTORIAN WINE.

(From the Ovens Constitution.) ,

In the whole history of colonial enterprise, perhaps thero is no one thing which has been so thoroughly mismanaged by every class of persons who have had anything to do with it as the manufacture or sale of colonial wino. In scarcely anything could a perverse ingenuity in blundering go further than it has gone in this matter. The vinegrower, the wine-merchant, the public, the Government, tho English importer, have all done their best to knock the colonial wine trade on the head. But for tho curious series of mistakes made, we should probably see this branch of industry already recognised as occupying its true position of one of the most important and valuable that can bo undertaken in the colonies of Southern Australia. The list of blunders is truly a most complete one.

When, first of all, the adaptation of this part of the M'orld was brought before the notice of the public, instead of the only wines fit to drink at that time — those of South Australia and New South Wales — being admitted duty free, they were at once taxed 3s. per gallon ; a tolerably high percentage on their value to start with. To add to tho evil, numbers of Victorian vine growers, who had been induced to go into the speculation by being told that the manufacture of first class wine was one of the easiest things possible, poured a great quantity of awful trash on tho Melbourne market. The Melbourne publicans, labouring under the delusion that Australian wine could not be judged by any known standard of excellence, bought up the rubbish at almost fabulous prices, and supplied their customers with small wino glasses filled with liquors which tasted like compounds of inferior vinegar mixed with very bad claret or sautcrne. People imbibed first with astonishment, and afterwards with disgust. Bad colonial wines, the only Victorian wines then known, gradually got into disfavor.

The second epoch in the history of colonial wine in this colony wns when the Albury and Corowa vine-growers, who had some experience in winemaking, and made a very fair article, sent samples across the border to the Ovens district. In spite of the rapid increase in the quantity of land under cultivation for vine-growing, tlvp wine merchants and publicans of the Ovens, reckless of the future, bought at absurd prices, hoping to retail the wine at the moderate price of a shilling for a glass containing a few thimblefuls. Of course the public did not care to nobblerisb on the proposed terms, and the bonifaces found there was no demand for colonial wines, and hurled opprobrious epithets at their wine merchants' heads for taking them in. Some few of them, professedly animated by a patriotic desire to serve the public, bought up some of the old sour claret and bad vinegar mixture, and retailed it j in rather larger glasses, greatly to tho ; damage of the stomachs ot Her Majesty's liege subjects, and greatly to the promotion of colic on the Ovens. And now the home market seemed nearly knocked on the head, and colonial wine was -fulling into disrepute, when some ingenious gentleman down in Melbourne found out that Australian wine would always command a first-rate price in the London market. Had not small samples sold at a hundred shillings a dozen in London, and had not tho Baden Vine-growers' Association pronounced that our \vor6t vintages were about equal to their best? Shipments were accordingly tried. Unhappily we find by the last inal that even that hope is destroyed, and that the Australian wines sent realised only from sixpence to niuepence a gallon.

Just at present, then, the colonial wine trade is in about as depressed a state as it can well be. Need those, therefore, who think of embarking capital in vino planting fear for the result "? Not in the slightest degree, wo would reply, if they go to work properly. It is utterly absurd to buy an immense piece of ground, and then after planting it with vines, and in due course of time taking off as large a crop as possible, j and making hastily somo vile compound which may be called wine, to hope that such stuff will ever pay for its production. What is wanted is a small quantity at first of really good wine at a moderate price. Thero is not the slightest doubt that such wines can be produced, but not witbovt care or skill. The Verdeilho of Sclmbach, and the ttcislin? and Tokay ot Henry Kau, at Albury, have for a long time got a name, and will ulso sell at a price that will well repay the respective vignerons. There are other wines grown on this side of the border not so well known at a distance, but also good, to which the same statement will opply. The White Muscatel, Tokay, and Mataro of Mr Zimmerman, and, what is still hotter, tho Brown Muscatel and Auearot from the Barnawartha Vineyard, nre wines which no doubt can be rivalled or surpassed at other pcrts of the district, provided the manufacture is equally well attended to. Such wines as these, however, will alwnys fetch their price, because they do not need the artificial attraction of being called colonial wines, but fairly come into competition with the best imported wines to which our fellowcolonists have become accustomed. Depressed as the colonial wine trade is

nt present, we have no fear for its fut ire. We still maintain that, taking fie quantity and quality of the wine t gjther into account, no tract of country in the world has ever yielded as well as the valley of the Murray. The prophecy of Charlos Kingsley may yet be realised iv the lifotime of the present or tho succeeding generation, and Australia become one of tho greatest wine-producing countries in the world. On every ground, financial, social, and moral, such a result is a consummation devoutly to be wished for. To start aright, however, in this matter, the first thing is not to attempt too much, but to do a little well,

Tho Hamburg government avo negotiating with an English company for a soveu-loaguo cable to bo laid down between London and Cuxhaven via Heligoland. Tho most important preliminaries havo already boen adjusted. From a Biimmavy just published of vessels launohod in 1865 by tho various builders on tho Olyde, together with orders on hand on tho Ist of January, it appears that in 1865 tho tonnago of vossols amountod to 158,000, whilst that of tho vessels on hand up to the date referred to wns 117,973.

FOETY THOUSAND SETS ARE NOW IN USB. At the Plymouth Meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, July 1865, .f. and F Howard won evpry prize for whioh they competpd, viz. : — Two First Prizes for tbe bent Haymaking Machines, and the First Prize for the best Horse Rake. These mnchines have won the First Prize at ovcry competbive trial both at home and abroad. The following Prizes havp beon awarded to J. and F. Howard by the Royal Agricultural Society 6t England :— Foriy-fonr FiM Prizes for theceet Ploughs for light 1 'nd, best. Ploughs for heavy land, bf-st Ploughs for general purposes, best Ridging Plou&bs, best, SuKroil Plounhs, best Harrows best Horse Rakes, best Haymakers, and beat. Horse Hoes 5 ftfyo the Gold Medal and other Prizes for Steam Cultivating Machinery, whioh ifteaneoinllT adapted for laying down land in permanent pas'ureFull partioulnrs may be had of their Asrents thmnehoufc tho Colonies, or will be sent free on application to JAMES AND FREDERICK HOWAUD, Pmtasnia Irw Works, B«T>VO Rl> , TDUQTiAN'D. LtnHfln o/B«p— -4. Chpimide. Liverpool Office— lß, c veeting street. sau .

MORE THAN SIXTY THOUSAND ARE NOW IN USR. At- the Plymnnth M*»>tin<r nf t.hp TWnl \»rionlMirai Snoietv of Ttriohnfl. .Tnlv IRfiS J. and P. Hownr'l won pvp-v v^fi for whieb they p<\n\pet.ert. viz '. — TVn fintf Pme* for thp host, Hny. maVin« .Mwh'tiwj, air' the Viral Pmo for thp hest TTorxo U<»kft . Those machine* have won ere.ry Vim' • 'frit* at overy competitive tiial, both nt home and abnoad. The WQpntr i->r??«vi Jpve Wn nw»rdeil to ,T. PoMptv of F.n n l<»nd :-n-F. n H\tfnnr First Prims for thph»H* Plou<?li« fo" li<»ht land. Wat. Ploughs for hfiivv land h««fc P'^nshs for general rwrpnnpH, .hosfc Pidgin? P'on^R. *"*«t. SijV>«nil P'nnen'fc TT&hw'h Vm, H*»-*.p Riikei, V>°ftt. F^vmnW*. ,«jyl hß«fch B «fc Hor-m TT"pp : n'in, thp GnH M*>'df»l|. and otfpr wize'i. for 8fc n nm On'tirat? c Machinery, »vhto.h is enp»f»iallv adapted forl ying down land for permanent pasture, Pnll partio'nlary'mitv be h-xi of thMr fcpenta thrAnfrh<w the'colduie«, br will be sent free on application to , (t „ t , JA*s?-# HOWARD, 1 BEiTAiiiiiA Iron Works, tfV»v'bsft>*; '"EVtfLiirß. «j«j|", Eondon Office— 4, Ch.enj'jside , tUrerpool Office— l 9, Sweeting street. 322 a

61, ivliziUiih Kfrecl, Mel'nourno. RkQCLATIONo JVMI TUB OIJIDANOB OF INTKNPINO Exhibitors. An oxhibiMonof the products, manufactures, and arts of Nnw South Wales, outh Australia, Queensland, Western Au«tr.ilift, Tasmania, New Zealand, a,nd Vio oria, will bfi held in Melbourne in 1866. Thfi Exhibition will open not earlier than the month of Anoint, and will remain ompii for not K'ss 'lum two months The Commissioners will lie pri.wed (o receive aitiolc intendod for oxhibitiou iroraiha Ist to ■lie 21s 1 of July inclusive. In order to give 'he Cmimissioneri tbe opportunity of making adequate arrangements, forms of npplication for space should hi- gont in without, delay and in no case will applications be received later than tho 17th June, 1866. Intending exhibitors are requests! to givo a full description of their goods on the form on the other side aur* particularly to describe all points of novelty or originality in tho objeet3 exhibited. Exhibitors rou'it fitnte whether they are the designers, inventors, manufacturers, or producers of the articles ihey propose to exhibit. The Commissioners res>rve to themselves the right to receive for exhibi ion only, and not for competition (if space admit), any object not ihe pioduco of the above-mentioned Colonies, whioh may bo considered to possess especial merit. The Commissioners decline to receive any article they tnny think unnuitabla to the Exhibition, or object* of an inflammatory, offensivo, perishable, or dangerous oharaoler. Counters and wall space will be provided. All goods and articles for exhibition must be delivered at the building at the charge and risk of the exhibitor. Articles and packages will beunloadod at the building. Should the exhibitors or their agents not be present, the packages ill c opened by the officors of the Exhibition, and tho oontents distributed with care, but at the risk of tho exhibitor.

Tickets will be issued to every exhibitor, his agent, or servant, to enable him to pass into the building between certain hours to arrange tho aitieles for exhibition These tickets must be pmduccd on entrance, and given up when requited. Exhibitors may employ assistants to keep in order tho articles they exhibit, or to explain them to visitors, aftor obtaining written permission from the Commissioners to that effect. Free admission, within limits to be fixed by the Commissioners, will he given to visitor or their agents. EfTcc'iuil means will be taken, through the agency of tho police and otherwise, to guard against fire and protect the property in tho exhibition ; but tbe Commissioners will not be responsible for losses by fire, robbery, accidont, or damage of any kind. Mcd \ls or cortiticatps of merit will bo awarded in the different elapses ' Prices may bo affixed to the articles exhibited. Articles of great size and weight, tho placing of which will require considerable labor, must be sent on or before tho 14th of June ; and penons wishing to exhibit machinery or other objects that will require foundations, must muko a declaration to that effect in their application for spaco. Any exhibitor whose goods can properly bo placed together will be at liberty to arrange such goods in his own way, provided his arrangements are compalililo with the gonoral scheme of the exhibition, and the convenience of other exhibitors. Exhibitors may not remove their goods or substitute others for them during the period tho exhibition shall romoin open withou eavo from tho Commissioners,

Miscellaneous Tho 0 mmissioners will reserve «pfico (if early appHcaiion is undo) for tho exhibition of pro-ccßst-8 of iiMtiuftiutiiitto in cuiram Jviud", or wl.i-b oan ho fi.'irned on without danger or ir. convenience in tho pienmus. Steam and water-power will l>e supplied f>>r showing mafiliinery in motion. Exhinitnis must vi.ike till ni'oeKNivy ineuhiiiiiiMl connect ionß a" their own expense. Packing cases must bn reinovd at the. cost of tbo exhibitors so soon as the goods aiu t.iken charge of by tho Cominissioneia. Exhibitors will he permitted, subject only to the necessary genoml regulations, to erect, according to thoir own taste, all counters stands, glass frames, bi-aokets, awnings, hangings, or othor similar con riv.inces, which thr-y may consider best calculated for the disp'ay of iheir goods. Packages nnd all articles intended for oxliibition should bo addressed as follows : — "To the Commissioners for tho " Intercolopiul Exhibition of 1866, "Melbourne, " From [state exhibitor's name and colony]."