A PLEA FOR CLARET

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1715, 11 January 1905, Page 13

A PLEA FOR CLARET

Messrs Journu Frores Kappelboff and Co., of Bordeaux, direct our attention to the following extract from “The Ijancef ” of October Sth, 1904 :—“lt is curious that when Bordeaux vines or clarets were never cheaper, more abundant, and purer than they are in the present day. the public demand for them should so decidedly have diminished. The fact is that nowadays claret is not understood hy the majority of people, and it must be admitted that unless it is handled properly claret may easily be an unpleasant and . uninteresting beverage. On the other hand, there is no- finer wine—no wine of a more wholesome character or possessing more delicacy of flavourthan a light, sound, relatively non-ac:d claret when proper care is devoted to it. Claret is^ well, worth while understanding, hut- it is to he- feared that many persons fail to appreciate claret because it is not potent enough, and, besides, it is a delicate wine which will not keep. Many individuals prefer a rough-and-ready wine which, can he reserved for future use after a portion has been used, the remainder not perceptibly changing or becoming eour. Such wines, of course, lack delicacy, and are ‘ heavy,’ and owing to their comparatively high alcoholic strength keep well and in a more or less drinkable condition. Economical motives presumably lead some people to select comparatively heavy wines—a little, strong wine ‘ goes further,’ they find, than a light delicate one. It needs very little to prove, however, that the sound light wine is more wholesome than the heavier" descriptions of wine and the alcoholic allowance is more, likely to he exceeded in the latter case. Sound claret, after all, contains hut little free acid, and, in fact, in this respect it invariably contains the least proportion of acid of all wines. Again, red Bordeaux wines are certainly less acid than white wines, while they contain practically no sugar compared with white wines. In health the individual would undoubtedly be better for drinking a pleasing light claret rather than a glass of ardent spirits and water. Good sound claret need not contain more alcohol than does ale or stout, while it is free from the extractive matters of the latter. It is well known that in countries where the staple beverage is vin ordinaire the people who are content, with such a simple hut. withal, generous drink, have sober inclinations, show’ a good bill of health, and are free from the demoralising influences of spiritdrinking. Yet in this country the same advantages may be enjoyed, so good, cheap, and aboundant is the supply of light claret imported at the present time. The decline in the consumption of light wines in favour of heavy wines or the drinking of ardent spirits would appear to be evidenced that a demand for more vigorous and rapidly-acting stimulants lias arisen, and the social and moral aspects of such a demand are worth serious reflection.”