1916 Jack's Manual by J A Grohusko (4th edition)
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manifestations or evoke the tendency of latent gout. There are several different varieties of Sherry, which may be divided into the Amontillado and Manzanilla classes. The Amontillado class may again be divided into fino and oloroso, the former being the more delicate. The generous, full flavored wines known as Port are the produce of the district of Alto Douro, in the northeast of Portugal. PORT WINE In the selection of the Port wine, much depends upon the weather, as the physical conditions of those who partake of it must be considered; people accustomed to open air exercise enjoy generous wines, and in warm weather, light tawny wine should be preferred. In some houses it is customary to drink a vintage Port no younger than twenty years in bottle, but there are many good wines which mature in from four to six years and ac- quire sufficient perfection to satisfy the connoisseur who is not too fastidious. If more than one quality of Port wine is required, it is better to commence with the richer or younger wine and follow with the drier or older. Port is a valuable medicine, and old crusted wine a rare luxury. It has high medicinal properties. It is a tonic and it has greater or less astringency, according to the various growths and vintages. The wine derives its name from the City of Oporto, located where the river Douro enters the sea, and the wild, mountainous country through which this boisterous river dashes is the place of growth of this wine; the vine- yards extending in terrace upon terrace from the edge of the river to the top of the highest mountain in the "Aito Douro" district of Portugal. There is a prevailing notion that genuine ports are not obtainable. If invalids and convalescents knew of the splen- did tonic and building-up properties of our real ports, they would not be slow in obtaining them. There are wines grown in Spain resembling Port, such as the "Tarragonas," and in France is made a wine resembling Port, known as the "Roussilion," but a much better substi- tute than either of those is the pure Port Wines of Southern California, grown from the same varieties of grapes as are native to the Alto Douro district. It represents nearly all the elements of a fine wine, besides being most agreeable to a refined palate. An old bottled wine when judiciously used, with its fine volatile ethers, is singu- larly useful in restoring strength and regularity to the heart's action, and for certain forms of anemia it is nearly always beneficial. A full flavored potent wine of moderate age retaining much of the richness of its original flavor is for such purposes the best agent, the object being to employ
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