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New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6342, 16 March 1882, Page 4

The exhibition of the wines of the world which is about to be held in Bordeaux, and for which preparation is being made in three of the Australian colonies, is an important matter, not only for new countries winch are already wine countries, but for those which expect to become so. It is an old saying that " good wine needs no bush," but it is true only in degree. Vintages of the right sort ai-e sure, and especially in the present day, to make their way sooner or later, but of course they make their way so much the sooner when there is the opportunity for getting them generally known. Within the last few years various Australian vintages are acquiring reputation. There is an increasing demand for them in England. They have obtained much notice both in France and Germany, many of the best being admirable natural hocks and clarets, and hock is the grand Rhineland wine, while France is equally famous for her clarets. At the late exhibition in Melbourne the German Emperor's gold medal was accorded to a wine grown on " the Yarra track"—a district, in the opinion of connoisseurs, by no means naturally superior for the purpose to divers other districts, and perhaps not quite equal to the Murray valley—and the circumstance shows that in wine production the skill of the vigneron plays just as important a part as the indispensable natural conditions. Now the great additional publicity and attention which the Bordeaux Exhibition will attract to the undoubtedly good wines forwarded from Australia, are certain to enlarge the market, and thereby extend the production, and enhance the value of the opportunity for it at this end of the world.

It cannot but stimulate such enterprise in quarters which, although outside the present wine-raising colonies, are likewise eligible. In Australia the industry cannot spread beyond the colonies which now possess it—namely, Victoria, New South Wales, and the southern part of South Australia. The rest of the continent is unsuitable by reason of the tropical climate. So also are Fiji and the Polynesian islands, while Tasmania, on the other hand, is too cool, with a temperature approximating to that of Devonshire or Normandy. The only wine coun-1

which nature offers out here, be- 11 yond those which are already so, is | 1 northern New Zealand, and we have 1 1 extraordinary advantages for the purpose on all points, except perhaps one. It vet remains to be ascertained how far the rains at a particular season may interfere. Of course in this view we must not be influenced by the peculiar weather of the present or late years. There is a spell of exceptional seasons all over the globe, due to rare planetary conjunctions the astronomers say ; and crops of all sorts have more or less suffered. As regards soil, the majority of the world's most renowned wines are raised on volcanic ground: the volcanic districts are those most prized for the purpose, and such soil is characteristic of this island. No other land has it in greater comparative extent. As matter of fact, there is not one of the ivine countries in Europe or elsewhere which possesses itinequal pro-1 portion. This fact, by the consequent number and variety of thermal springs, will ere long render our island a sanatorium — resorted to, as such places always are, by people in search of pleasure as well as health ; and the fact is just as certain to render north New Zealand a producer of prized wines, provided, as we have said, the liability of rain in the ripening season does not interfere. On this point, however, there are two things which we may usefully bear in mind. Every country engaged in this industry—even the best of them—has particular atmospherical drawbacks. France is classed at the head of all wine countries, as possessing the best natural conditions on the whole, and producing the greatest number of excellent vintages. Yet even France has a certain climatic deficiency—the crop is very frequently injured by hail and frost. That is an evil not to be apprehended here. Then as regards the danger of heavy rains at the critical .period of the grape—we must not overlook the fact that if we should be able to raise wine of a superior character in favourable years (for which in such years there cer.tainly seems to be the natural opportunity) the profits would be so large that the vigneron could well afford to bear the loss in alternate unfavourable seasons. The profits of successful wine-growing are so great that in countries where it can be pursued every available acre is devoted to it. The demand for good wine increases so fast that in France, a few years ago, before the phylloxera, there was a great extension of the already huge quantity of land in vineyards. California has an honourable preeminence among new countries for establishing and extending novel industries. Her wines are already in great request in epicurean New York and the other American cities, notwitliKtn.nrling the rivalry of imports of more historic fame from Europe ; and the business is found so advantageous on the Pacific seaboard that a San Francisco paper thus speaks :—

If every one who owns 160 acres of land would sell 1-0 acres, and use the money in setting out 40 acres of vines, he would in ten years, with ordinary luck and good management, be very well off financially, and would attain that end with less expenditure of physical energy than would have been required of him had he kept his land and seeded it to grain every year.

We may well wish success to the experiments which are now afoot in several quarters to obtain for us this invaluable industry, which, if it prospers, will make various business for town as well as country. It causes many employments, and the vintage has to be stored and matured by the middleman before it goes to the merchant. Of course it is only by experience we can ascertain whether wine of first-rate quality can be raised here, and we must have patience, fcr the vine takes years to grow, and then the product must lie by sufficiently long to give it fair play. But the thing is well worth the trial and the trouble, for if successful there is little doubt it will be highly successful. There is only one possible drawback, which moreover could only prove so on an average of years ; and there is no question that all the other conditions are singularly favourable. As success in this way would open up a real mine of wealth for the colony, assuredly the experiments might be already more numerous than they are.

From the beginning great pains were taken in Melbourne to impress the growers ancl storers of the Victorian wines with the necessity of leaving tliem pure and in the natural state ; instead of fortifying them with spirits, or sophisticating them to confer some sham resemblance to famous European wines. If the natural good quality of those vintages had been thus tampered with, they would not have acquired their present reputation, their fast enlarging market and noble prospects. The three wine colonies are making preparations, by the forwarding of extensive samples, and the appointment of commissioners, to be properly represented at Bordeaux ; and the colonists resident in England, and the commercial men there who are interested in the Australian wine trade, are taking active steps to obtain a reduction of the duties, and otherwise promote the trade. In London, we observe that a conference on the subject is about to be held at the instigation of Alderman McArtliur, the late Lord Mayor.