Cassell's dictionary of cookery

In selecting port wine of course as tastes differ the purchaser must judge to a certain extent for himself. In selecting from samples, I would, however, warn you against being prejudiced by price, and would therefore recommend you invariably to act as follows .-—Should your wine merchant send you samples, let these same samples be marked by letters or numbers, and let the price of them be sealed up in a separate letter. Then taste and discuss the samples aloud with a friend, and open the letter and see how far your palate agrees with those of others afterwards. This is the only way to approach wine really unprejudiced, and in speaking by-and-by of Australian wine I shall again revert to this point — for bear in mind that it is equally foolish to imagme wine must be good because it costs 10s. a bottle — alas ! what stuff some hotel keepers have the conscience to ask this price for ! — as it would be to condemn a wine as rubbish simply because it is only 30s. a dozen. Good port is one of the most wholesome and nourishing wines that can be taken — of course being a strong wine it must be taken in moderation. We next come to claret — that light, nourishing, and wholesome wine that is now so largely consumed in this country, and which can now be obtained really good at so small a price. Really good sound claret can be obtained at 16s. a dozen, and if the wine is imported in wood and bottled on the premises, at a far smaller cost. One great advantage claret possesses over most other wines is that it is easy of digestion, not fattening ; containing as it does but little sugar, and consequently Ixxxvi cassell's dictionary op cookery. admirably adapted to persons who lead sedentary lives. In France, claret corresponds to oin- beer, poor men being able to obtain a tumblerful for a penny. Notwithstanding, however, its cheapness, the French generally mix water with it. Indeed, the French are the most thrifty nation in the whole world, and this economy on their part, coupled with industry, is the secret of their enormous wealth, probably far greater than our own. Claret, like all other light wines, is best kept in bottles. Of course claret is originally kept in wood, but not for long. Claret, like port, varies very much with the vintage or year, some years being remarkably good, while others are comparative failures. One of the finest vintages ever known in France was that of 1848. Well-bottled and well-authenticated clarets, either Chateau Margaux, or Chateau Lafitte of 1848, will now fetch fancy prices — indeed, not very long ago tliere was a sale of the Lafitte at the chateau in which some of the 1848 wine fetclied 100 francs a bottle, or £4 English money. There is perhaps no wine in the world that varies so much as claret ; and the comparison between a bottle of good Lafitte and a bottle of vin ordinaire only shows what care and cultivation of the grape will eftect.