DRINKING IMPERIALLY
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—In his article entitled " Drinking Imperially " in your issue of February 6th, Mr. Morton Shand has committed the following offences. Ile says, " as imitations, Empire Wines bear no sort of resemblance to the world-faMous European growths they claim to ape." Empire wines do not attempt to imitate. He refers to " borrowed, not to say spurious plumage of those vainglorious labels." This is merely insulting to the producers and merchants of the great Empire wine inthistries. " Empire Wines are rammed down our throats not as wines grown at the other end of the earth ... but as full-fledged Burgundies, Hocks or Chablis, which we know to be a lie." No, Mr. Shand, the lie is in your phraseo- logy-
He smiles at some Australian names which he says are "grotesquely and mendaciously coupled to the descriptions Burgundy and Hock." This is an inexactitude. The type words burgundy, hock, claret and so forth are always proudly used by the Empire merchants in conjunction with the title of origin to describe what without the use of these words could not be siinply described. The place-names Medoe and Bourgogne are used in France, but not the English type words claret and burgundy. 'Is it apeing France to call is wine Australian claret ? Is it grotesque and mendacious to refer to South African burgundy ?
Canada sends Cheddar cheese to this country and Bath buns have become almost universal. The words Cheddar and the Alesaription " Bath," as referred to buns, have not been criticized, yet the universal use may be equally con-, demned. " Burgundy " is the only combination, of letters in the English language that can indicate to the consumer the particular character of the wine.
Since the' Einidre wine industries have bedome serious, competitors with Prance in these markets, the use of tl word
burgundy " seems to be the chief avenue of at ack. My family has even been accused by French growers in all serious- ness of adopting the name " Burgoyne " for purposes of competitive trading.
Mr. Shand refers to Algeria and Tunisia as selling their wines under their native names. .Do they to any extent ? -He should have pointed out that the principal -business of these two outposts of France is to - ship their wines, young and
pasteurized, to France so that they may become incorporated in the production of the Medoe and Bourgogne and, by virtue of this marriage, take their names and become honour- able members of a noble lineage.—I am, Sir, &c.,
CUTHBERT BURGOYNE.
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