was extolled as much as the other great growths of that remarkable season, and probably 4,000 hogsheads were sold throughout the world. Belgian, Hamburg, and Dutch houses carry on a large trade in Bordeaux wines, through a broker, Inclinez votre front, fléchissez les genoux, Amis, Château-Margaux s'élève devant nous ! Voilà l'un des trois rois, l'un des trois dieux du monde ! purchasing vineyards, while in grapes, or just fermented, and having them carefully attended to till the spring, when they may be safely exported. They are then shipped to Holland, &c., while quite young. As they purchase probably one or two hundred tuns, equal to four, or eight hundred hogsheads, it is worth their while to charter a vessel to carry them; and thus every means are used to make their wine cost nearly as little as to the Bordeaux merchants themselves. When arrived in Amsterdam or Rotterdam, the casks are placed in the cellars belonging to the merchant, where he may rack, blend, or do anything with them he likes, until he sells, and sends them out in wood or in bottle. It is known that the Dutch generally buy very cheap growths, and that they are large importers from Marseilles, Cette, &c., in the south; and certainly I have nowhere tasted such bad (so-called) Bordeaux wine as one gets in hotels in their heavily-taxed country. But although Holland is a Gin, and not a wine producing country, the Hollanders are not without their songs in praise of the juice of the grape. The one below I have from an old Dutch officer, now eighty-five, who remembers having often sung and heard it, when seated with his comrades round the camp-fire, during the war under the first Napoleon. Ons Katrijntje is malade, En dat van Zes flesjes Wijn, Loop gij voort al naar St. Velten, En niet uwe bittere medicijn. Wijn te drinken is mijn leven, Wijn, Wijn, Wijn, Wijn, Wijn. Die hieronder legt begraven. In de Kelder, onder't Kraantje, Dat zal tot verkwikking zijn. Burgundy is gaining favour rapidly, especially in Belgium, as in many other places; which may be accounted for by the whole Burgundy district having wonderfully escaped the oïdium, while the Bordelais suffered terribly; but it may be also attributed to the greater facility of communication by railways. This has been the means of introducing the many delightful wines of that great central country of vineyards, producing not only the most exquisite, expensive kinds, but also others of excellent quality, and others, again, that are pleasant, though very cheap. An advantage which the wines of Burgundy, Macon, Beaune, Beaujolais, &c., possess over those of Bordelais (clarets) is, that the latter are hard, and marked by a bitterness when of a poor growth, with little flavour, while almost even the commonest and lowest of the Burgundy class possesses flavour; and the general characteristics are smoothness, a certain richness of taste, without thinness and harshness, and always a decided bouquet, varying according to the quality, soil, &c. Most connoisseurs give the Là, les vins les plus fins de Sauterne et de Bomme Et brille, transparent, comme une aigue-marine. preference to fine claret, which, when good of its kind, whether it be a first, second, or third growth, is as perfect a wine as can be imagined, and is said to be more wholesome than Burgundy. The white wines are classed much in the same way as the red. The parish producing the best is Sauternes, where the famous Château Yquem is situated, and where there are many vineyards of Sauterne, of various qualities. After this, come the parishes of Bommes, Barsac, Preignac, Cérons, and the general kinds known as the white wines of Graves. The last are dry and somewhat hard; while the others, especially in years such as 1847, 1851, 1852, 1858, and 1859, are rich and fruity. These white wines are made quite differently from the red, and occupy much more time and attention. Growers, anxious to have the best quality, leave the grapes till they are over-ripe, and first gather those which are nearest the ground. The care required can scarcely be comprehended by those who have not seen it. The red also require constant and skillful attention, for no sooner are they put in cask than there is a loss by evaporation and fermentation which necessitates their being filled up every week, otherwise they would certainly spoil. This continues for about six months, when the bright portion is drawn into another cask, which is kept constantly filled up, and the same operation of racking off the lees is again performed in about six months afterwards. There are splendid cellars in Bordeaux, and probably nowhere else in the world is there such a |