Mr. James Smith has also strongly insisted upon the supreme importance of this uniformity, especially as regards the quality of the wine.  And this is perfectly true.  The quality of any particular wine is solely dependent upon the season, but the produce of any given vineyard should surely possess, as he remarks, a distinctive cachet, by which the palate is enabled to recognise it.  For instance, an expert would not fail to distinguish between a Chateau Margaux and a Chateau Lafitte, nor between a Chateau Latour and a Haut Brion.  Notwithstanding the different vintages, there is always a uniformity and continuity of flavour maintained through all these great growths.  But in the case of our Australian wines there is a lamentable difference.  Wines of the same denomination and from the same grower differ so materially one year from those bearing a similar name, and coming from the same cellar, in another, that it is difficult to believe they are the same.  As Mr. Smith justly observes, this is an unpardonable defect in the estimation of connoisseurs; more especially such as attach themselves to a particular kind of wine, and naturally drink it by preference.  Constancy of type should be unremittingly aimed at by the vigneron.  And this can only be possible by continuous attention to each individual factor concerned in vine-growing and wine-making.

THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF THE AUSTRALIAN WINE INDUSTRY—­AND UPON WHAT IT DEPENDS.

Figures help us considerably more than words in enforcing a proper idea of the magnitude to which the Australian wine industry should develop.  It will be appropriate, therefore, to preface this portion by bringing forward a few speculative data.  In an earlier part of this chapter it was stated that the city of Paris alone requires nearly 300,000 gallons of wine daily, and that this single city would consume in 12 days all the wine which the whole of Australia takes 12 months to make.  The population of Paris is nearly two and a half millions, while that of Australia is three millions odd.  By considering these together it will be seen that the wine which it takes over three million people all the year to make, lasts another two and a half million people only 12 days.

Now, the total annual wine yield of Australia, including both that used here and that which is exported, is only worth about 800,000 L. It follows from the foregoing, then, that Paris will in 12 days consume about 800,000 L. worth of wine, and for the whole year the Parisian figures for wine consumption will reach to something like 20,000,000 L. Let us suppose that Australia were only a wine-drinking community, as her climate unceasingly calls for.  It would be fair to assume that her yearly wine bill would be in accordance with the following rule of proportion.  If Paris with her two and a half millions annually consumes wine to the amount of 20,000,000 L., then Australia with her three millions odd would surely require for her own use at least 20,000,000 l. worth year by year.  And when it is remembered in addition that the export trade should be enormously in excess of any local requirements, it will readily be see what a magnificent future only awaits its calling into being.