The sine quibus non are a well-known brand and a ‘gold-top.’  Moet’s or Roederer’s carte d’or is the party-goer’s criterion of the success of the entertainment.  As soon as he sees the label, he swallows the wine, good or bad—­more probably bad, for most champagnes, like all other wines, are ‘specially prepared for the Australian market,’ and you know what that means.  ‘Body,’ or what captious folk would call ‘heaviness,’ is the first condition of good wine to the colonial taste.  The lower middle and lower classes also like it sweet; but of course a man who drinks any quantity of wine prefers it dry.  Besides the champagne drunk for show, there is—­in spite of a 20s. a dozen duty—­a large quantity consumed in the way of nobblers, and at dinner by wealthy men.  When a man has made a lucky speculation, or has just got a large order, he treats his friends to a bottle of champagne.

I have not seen burgundy half a dozen times since I have been here.  The old colonist finds claret thin and sour; but the younger generation are beginning to take to it, although there is no wine harder to obtain here than claret.  Nine-tenths of what one buys is adulterated.  His knowledge of crus being naturally limited, the colonist likes to see on his wine a fine label, one which makes the quality of the wine easily comprehensible to him.  Thus the most successful claret sold here is divided according to degrees of nastiness into five ranks, and you ask for So-and-So’s No. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, irrespective of vintage or year.  ’Bon ordinaire’ is of course unobtainable, but you can get ‘Chateau Margaux,’ duty paid, at from 40s. to 50s. a dozen.  I was once asked to buy some wine bearing that label for 2s. 6d. a bottle.  The names of one or two well-known wines having reached your host’s ears, he likes to show you by the name on the label that he is giving them to you; and, unfortunately, Margaux and Lafitte labels cost no more than any other.

A good deal of sherry and port—­even more brandied than for the English market—­is drunk.  A wealthy man will never give you colonial wine, not because it is necessarily worse than the imported stuff on his table, but because it is colonial.  Amongst the middle classes it is beginning to find favour.  A great deal of extravagant praise has been lavished in the press on these wines since the Bordeaux Exhibition, and I fear that many who taste them for the first time will be disappointed.  They are too heady, and for the most part wanting in bouquet, whilst their distinctive character repels the palate, which is accustomed to European growths.  But for all that, I cannot understand how men with only moderate means living out here can pay large prices for very inferior imported wines, when a good sound, palatable wine is obtainable at from 15s. to 25s. a dozen.  At the latter price a Sauvignon approaching to claret, grown close to Melbourne, is obtainable, which is really excellent; and the white