“The physiological effect of wines.—­The inhabitants of a beer-drinking or spirit-drinking country will never possess the vivacity of wit and the light-heartedness of those who live in a wine-producing land.  It is not by any means the alcohol in itself which constitutes the worth and goodness of wine, for beer may contain as much, and spirits certainly contain more.  To be more or less spirituous does not constitute good wine.  All natural wine is good, whether it be strong or weak in spirit, if it keeps its organic life.  It is good, too, if it reveals itself by a fresh odour, by a union of all its elements in a taste harmonious to the palate, by being easily digested, and by causing greater activity of body and mind, and a sensible augmentation of muscular force.  Be the taste of the wine fresh, sharp, or delicate; be it soft, unctuous, or rich; be it acid or strong, the wine is good if it supports and increases the forces of body and mind, without wearing out the digestive Organs.

“Wine is good relatively and not absolutely.  We ought to have before everything good common wines.—­A wine is good according to the use to which we put it.  Even an excellent liqueur or dessert vine is undesirable and out of place for ordinary drinking purposes or for nourishment.  We must distinguish between wines for ordinary use, those for side dishes (entremets), and those for dessert.  And these again should be differentiated into wines for small, medium, or large glasses, relatively, proportional to the quantity which we can or ought to drink.  A good cake is always good if we only eat a little at a time, and seldom take it; but bread is infinitely better and preferred by everybody to eating cake always.  It is vastly more important to have good ordinary wines than to have good VINS D’ENTREMETS or good liqueur wines.  And, indeed, this very matter affects the total consumption within and out of France, and the interests of producer and consumer, as well as the interests of public hygiene.  Good ordinary wine, alimentary wine—­for wine is a real and excellent food—­by no means a wine strong in spirit, nor is it a wine of great age; but it is a wine of fine cepage, not going beyond 10 per cent. of spirit, or even 6 per cent.”

UNIFORMITY IN AUSTRALIAN WINES.

This is a subject the importance of which cannot be over estimated.  And it is one markedly calling for consideration, as there have been, and still are, grounds for complaint in this direction.  It will be advisable, therefore, to look well into the question, because it will amply repay the trouble bestowed upon it.  First of all, then, let us refer to the remarks of Mr. Francois de Castella, the author of the Handbook on Viticulture for Victoria.  He points out that