The Hochheim vineyards are situated, as I have previously indicated, on the banks of the Maine, several miles above its confluence with the Rhine. There is one exceptionally fine Pochheim growth which comes from the vineyard of the " Dechanei," or deanery. True Hochheimer is a remark- ably aromatic wine, and possesses both body and fire. In- deed, it contains as large a percentage of alcohol as the so- called noble Steinberger — the most spirituous of the Rhenish growths — with more sweetness. It consequently lacks that subdued acidulous freshness of flavour which is such a marked characteristic of the wines of the Rheingau. Some reference to sherry and port is necessary, because they are both types of wines that are widely known, and consequently any remarks concerning them are of value by comparison. It would appear that with most sherry, and certainly with all port, there is an addition of alcohol to the wine. Even the wines which are sold in England under the name of " natural sherry" contain from 13*2 to 15*5 percent, of alcohol. Beyond aU question, therefore, from 1^ to 3^ per cent, of alcohol must have been added, for no "natui'al sherry " should ever contain more than 12 per cent, of alcohol. Some sherries, however, have been introduced with an alcoholicity of from 12 to 13*6 per cent., with the fol- lowing characters : The taste is freely vinous, rich, pure, mellow, and quite free from heat or the taste of added spirit. But fashion has much to do with the type of sherry in request ; tlms the colour has varied from time to time. In the same way, too, a taste for dry sherries arose with the Pi 228 THE ART OF LIVING IN AUSTRALIA. Manzanilla epoch, only to be carried to excess. As with all other wines, a certain age in sherry is desirable ; the ethers become developed during tliis period, and impart a rich flavour to it. In the course of time, however, sherry falls off so much that it is only fit for giving flavour to young wine. In the matter of port, also, it may confidently be asserted that not a single drop is sold that does not contain a certain amount of added brandy. That is to say, all port wine, without exception, is brandied. The effect of the brandy is to keep the wine quiet ; it prevents it from undergoing any fermentation ; and, what is more, it keeps it from changing, no matter whether the climate be hot or cold. Messrs. Thudicum and Dupre state that a perfectly natural port has 9 per cent, of alcohol as the lowest, and 13'8 per cent, as the highest limit. A sample of Alto Douro wine submitted to these gentle- men, although it was slightly alcohoHsed, yet possessed the following desirable qualities : it was fine, because it was derived from the finest and ripest Alto Douro grapes, the Verdeilho and Bastardo ; it was full, owing to its great vinosity and high amount of natural alcohol, yet free from adventitious syrup ; and it was pure, because free from all those faults which depreciate so many southern wines, such as the fousel flavour, or the burning taste of distilled spirit. Besides all these great qualities, it characteristically possessed the very essence of an ideal port wine flavour — without the saccharine and spirituous taste commonly found in port wine — and it had a natural smooth astrin- gency such as pleases the palate and imparts keeping qualities.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The Hochheim vineyards are situated, as I have previously indicated, on the banks of the Maine, several miles above its confluence with the Rhine. There is one exceptionally fine Hochheim growth which comes from the vineyard of the " Dechanei," or deanery. True Hochheimer is a remarkably aromatic wine, and possesses both body and fire. Indeed, it contains as large a percentage of alcohol as the socalled noble Steinberger — the most spirituous of the Rhenish growths — with more sweetness. It consequently lacks that subdued acidulous freshness of flavour which is such a marked characteristic of the wines of the Rheingau. Some reference to sherry and port is necessary, because they are both types of wines that are widely known, and consequently any remarks concerning them are of value by comparison. It would appear that with most sherry, and certainly with all port, there is an addition of alcohol to the wine. Even the wines which are sold in England under the name of " natural sherry" contain from 13*2 to 15*5 percent, of alcohol. Beyond aU question, therefore, from 1^ to 3^ per cent, of alcohol must have been added, for no "natui'al sherry " should ever contain more than 12 per cent, of alcohol. Some sherries, however, have been introduced with an alcoholicity of from 12 to 13*6 per cent., with the following characters : The taste is freely vinous, rich, pure, mellow, and quite free from heat or the taste of added spirit. But fashion has much to do with the type of sherry in request ; thus the colour has varied from time to time. In the same way, too, a taste for dry sherries arose with the Pi Manzanilla epoch, only to be carried to excess. As with all other wines, a certain age in sherry is desirable ; the ethers become developed during tliis period, and impart a rich flavour to it. In the course of time, however, sherry falls off so much that it is only fit for giving flavour to young wine. In the matter of port, also, it may confidently be asserted that not a single drop is sold that does not contain a certain amount of added brandy. That is to say, all port wine, without exception, is brandied. The effect of the brandy is to keep the wine quiet ; it prevents it from undergoing any fermentation ; and, what is more, it keeps it from changing, no matter whether the climate be hot or cold. Messrs. Thudicum and Dupre state that a perfectly natural port has 9 per cent, of alcohol as the lowest, and 13'8 per cent, as the highest limit. A sample of Alto Douro wine submitted to these gentlemen, although it was slightly alcohoHsed, yet possessed the following desirable qualities : it was fine, because it was derived from the finest and ripest Alto Douro grapes, the Verdeilho and Bastardo ; it was full, owing to its great vinosity and high amount of natural alcohol, yet free from adventitious syrup ; and it was pure, because free from all those faults which depreciate so many southern wines, such as the fousel flavour, or the burning taste of distilled spirit. Besides all these great qualities, it characteristically possessed the very essence of an ideal port wine flavour — without the saccharine and spirituous taste commonly found in port wine — and it had a natural smooth astringency such as pleases the palate and imparts keeping qualities.

The art of living in Australia