Satire on the adulteration of wine in Spain (1916)

The image in today’s post featured a satirical post card about the adulteration of wine in Spain.[1]  At the front of the store hangs the sign “Vinos Legitimos de Valdepenas”.  A bartender is pouring a glass of wine from barrel and another man is drinking his glass of wine.  No doubt the customers believe they are drinking real wine.  Behind the barrels is a man creating the fake wine.  It is made from a blend of cat blood, donkey blood, powdered alcohol, liquid water, as well as the toxic aniline and campeche to color the wine.  While the ingredients are somewhat tongue-in-cheek the inclusion of campeche is probably correct as it is listed as a colorant of Spanish wine in 1877.[2]  Be careful drinking those century old vintages from unknown producers!

Adulteración del vino. ca. 1916. [1]

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[1] Adulteración del vino. ca. 1916. Post card.  Memoria de Madrid. URL: http://www.memoriademadrid.es/buscador.php?accion=VerFicha&id=35755
[2] Estudio sobre la exposicion vinicola nacional de 1877. 1878. URL: http://books.google.com/books?id=iVa03ssypyoC&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false