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262 PORT: are much greater than Tokay, and produce a wine no ways inferior toit. But Tokay has not always had this honour. Nicholas Olaus, who wrote in the fixteenth century, does not place the county of Zemplin, which Tokay is in, amongft thofe which produce the belt wine; he enumerates only Sermia, Sumeg, Barony, Prefburgh, Oedenberg, Heves Borfod, Abauivar, Vefprim, and Salad; yet he {peaks of Szanto and Lifzka, which belong to the Tokay diftria, and fays * Oppida ‚vini optimi feracia.” It feems that Tokay obtained this diflinguifhing honour under the government of Rakotzy, through his keeping here the wine which he received from this diftri&t. But the wine generally known in foreign countries by the name of Tokay, is-a particular kind, and made only in {mall quantities: in different parts ‘of this difuict, and is fold even here very dear; it is here called Aufbruche, and is»made by mixing a portion of lufcious half-dried and fhrivelled grapes with the common. ones. As it will probably be agreeable to moft of my readers to know the whole economy .of the vineyards of the’ celebrated Tokay, I will devote the greateft part of the prefent chapter to this fübje&t, and relate the management of them from the firft planting of the vine to the perfection of .its juice. “The vines when firft ;planted are ‚cut down at a knot, to within a : {pan of the foil, and the fuperfluous young fhoots are.cut off every fpring at the fame place: by this means a head is formed, which o increafes 10
