The Chemistry of Cookery

that actually come into the market. Wines made from grapes grown in unfavourable climates naturally cost more in proportion to the poorness of the yield. As some of my readers may be inclined to question this estimate of average cost, a few illustrative facts may be named. In Sicily and Calabria I usually paid at the roadside or village ‘osterias’ an equivalent to one halfpenny for a glass or tumbler holding nearly half a pint of common wine, thin, but genuine. This was at the rate of less than one shilling per gallon, or twopence per bottle, and included the cost of barrelling, storage, and innkeeper’s profit on retailing. In the luxuriant wine-growing regions of Spain, a traveller halting at a railway refreshment station and buying one of the sausage sandwiches that there prevail, is allowed to help himself to wine to drink on the spot without charge, but if he fills his flask to carry away he is subjected to an extra charge of one halfpenny. It is well known to all concerned that at vintage-time of fairly good seasons, in all countries where the grape grows freely, a good empty cask is worth more than the new wine it contains when filled; that much wine is wasted from lack of vessels, and anybody sending two good empty casks to a vigneron can have one of them filled in exchange for the other. Those who desire further illustrations and verification should ask their friends—_outside of the trade_—who have travelled in Southern wine countries, and know the language and something more of the country than is to be learned by being simply transferred from one hotel to another under the guidance of couriers, ciceroni, valets de place, &c. Thus the five shillings paid for a bottle of rich port is made up of one penny for the original wine, one penny more for cost of storage, &c., about sixpence for duty and carriage to this country, and twopence for bottling, making tenpence altogether; the remaining four shillings and twopence is paid for cookery and wine-merchant’s profits. Under cookery I include