A treatise on the origin, nature, and varieties of wine : being a complete manual of viticulture and œnology / y J.L.W. Thudichum and August Dupré.

  • Thudichum, J. L. W. (John Louis William), 1829-1901
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the origin, nature, and varieties of wine : being a complete manual of viticulture and œnology / y J.L.W. Thudichum and August Dupré. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The “aramont” is commonly grown about Montpellier on account of its extraordinary fertility. Its bunches are large, its grapes of the size of nuts. Transplanted to the south of Germany,1 the aramont begins to bear in the fourth year, and produces many and large bunches of grapes. But year by year its fertility decreases, and its berries become smaller, until the viticulturist is obliged to remove the barren plants. Austria possesses four peculiar vines which are probably indigenous to the banks of the Danube. They are described by Burger 2 as follows :— Plinia rubrivenici, the “ Rothgipfler ” of Upper Austria, is a vine with very dark foliage, the ribs, nerves, and points of which are red. At first sight it resembles the “Traminer,” but its grapes are green. Plinia austriaca, the green “ Muscateller ” of Upper Austria, is one of the most fertile vines in existence. Its bunches are large and bear small, greenish-yellow grapes. It is not cultivated in other parts of Austria. Virgilia austriaca, or “ the white one of Grinzing ” (a village near Vienna), is only met with in the country round Vienna, where it is cultivated after the head-knob fashion. Herera austriaca, or “red Zierifandler” of Voslau, is cul- tivated only in the valley between Vienna and Baden, and not to any great extent. Its grape is light red, and is said to yield good wine. Bronner, who had become acquainted with these varieties, and particularly the fertility of the green muscateller, planted some vines of all four varieties in his vineyard at Wiesloch. During ten years he did not obtain a single grape from any of them, and after ten further years all the vines had died out. The vines of Europe transplanted to North America do not succeed. Viticulture in that country is only possible with indigenous varieties or their crosses. American vines, which yield good wine in the United States, when grown in the Gironde, degenerate, and yield no drinkable wine. M. Boucherot, of Carbonnieux, near 1 Bronner, Die wilden Trauben, &c., p. 32. 2 Burger, Joh., Oesterreich. Trauben. Wien, 1837.