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Wines.
taken
in
excess,
it is
perhaps
the
most
mischievous
of
wines,
and
most
likely
to
produce
those
per-
manent
derangements
of
the
digestive
organs
which
follow
the
habitual
use
of
distilled
spirits.”
The
sediment
usually
seen
in
an
old
bottle
of
Port
is
formed
by
the
bitartrate
of
potash (cream
of
tartar),
which,
being
slightly
soluble
in
wine,
gradually
settles,
and
forms
what
is
known
as
“
the
crust.”
It
is
a
good
criterion
of
sound
Port
if
on
drawing
the
cork
its
under
surface
when
dry
presents
small
crystals
of
tartar.
A
dry
wine
is
full
in
flavour,
but
not
abounding
in
sweetness
;
while
a
full-
bodied
wine
is
generally
newly
made.
Port
wine
is
“
blended
”
by
the
wine-merchants
similar
to
the
process
observed
with
Sherry.
There
are,
however,
some
choice
vintages,
well
known
to
connoisseurs,
that
escape
this
doctoring,
some
of
them
having
fetched
enormous
prices,
as
much
as
£35
per
dozen
having
been
given
for
Port
wine
of
the
year
1820.
Mr.
Beckwith
says,
with
regard
to
the
character-
istics
of
Port,
“
it
may
be
stated
that
a
modified
‘
fruitiness
’
in
it
is
an
essential,
but
that
it
should
never
be
sweet.”
Rich
colour,
firmness,
homogene-
ousness,
and
a
tendency
to
dryness,
with
some
astringency,
will
not
fail
to
be
among
the
qualities
of
good
Port
wine.
When,
in
addition
to
these,
it