A letter recently offered by an eBay vendor sheds some light on the state of the wine trade in 1856. The item consists of a letter that was carried from London to Cape Town per “S S Madagascar”. Written by a Mr Dickson (presumably an agent), addressing JH Vos of Cape Town. The item consists of two letters. The gist of the letters is as follows:
In the first letter dated 5 Nov. 1856 Mr Dickson thanks Vos for a consignment of “35 Pipes Pontac” which he believes he will sell at a very satisfactory price as the “market rules for red wines”. Dickson furthermore writes that he was glad to notice that his previous sale was to the liking of Mr Vos. The letter also acknowledges that Mr Vos are preparing to send out white wine and comments that white sell at 15 pounds and red at 18 pounds and that he (Dickson) may ask for more red.
In the second letter dated 8 Nov. 1856 Dickson writes that he had an offer from Bristol for 19 pounds per pipe for Red and 15 pounds per pipe for White which is “the best sale we have ever made of Pontac in Pipes”.
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