THE WINE DUTIES.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR.—In your issue of April 7th, your correspondent, "Parvo Bene," makes some remarks about French wines that are mis- leading, and as I know similar opinions are held by many, I trust you will grant me space to say a few words upon the subject. It is true France imports an enormous quantity of wine, and raisins for making low wine for her own people, from other countries, how enormous is not generally known in this country. M. Lalande, an authority on the subject, gives the figures for 1887 as follows :—" Value of wine imported, 545,000,000 fr. ; raisins, 98,000,000 fr." Why does France pay this enormous sum for an article she produced sufficient of for her own consumption a few years ago P If it is borne in mind that every man, woman, and child in France uses wine several times daily, the reason for this outlay will be seen from the following figures. The average yearly yield of French vineyards for the twenty. years 1868-87 was 970,608,320 gallons of wine ; whereas in 1887 it was only 535,332,248 gallons, leaving a deficiency of 435,276,172 gallons to be supplied by other countries. Because France imports this enormous quantity of wine, it is assumed in England that the wine she sends us is mainly not the produce of her own vineyards. Your correspondent says :—" At the best, we are told [who tells him ?] it means a de- coction of raisins ; at the worst, a compound of all manner of nastinesses." This is pure nonsense. Why, the total of French wines imported into England in 1887 was only 5,376,512 gallons, or about 1 per cent. of the yield of French vineyards alone for 1887, or 0.5 per cent. of the average yield for the last twenty years. It is mainly in the districts pro-. ducing the very commonest kinds of wine—those used by the mass of the French people—and in the Charentes, where brandy is made, that the phylloxera has caused most destruc- tion. In the districts producing the wines that come to England, it is only the very cheapest sorts which are scarce ; and it is to supply the demand for this class of wine, that of late years a good deal of wine blended with young wine of other countries has been sent here. It may not be very nice to a trained palate, but it is all juice of the grape. If your correspondent would take only a little more trouble in getting up his facts about wine, he would be saved from spreading misleading statements, and prejudicing the public mind about an industry of a friendly country ; he would also be saved the trouble of importing eight to ten dozens of wine, ready bottled, at a cost of from 16s. to 24s., as he can always get good, pure Bordeaux in England at those prices, just as he wants it, and no wine from North or South Germany can compete with it for a moment at the price.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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