lo Sept.. 1909.] Sherry: Its Making and Rearing- 583 



The rayas, as a class, are rather a temporary group — a waiting room, 

 if the term may be permitted, rather than a very distinct class. The 

 wines which turn out best among them find their way into oloroso rather 

 than into fino soleras. 



Parilla. — The last group we have to consider is that of the faulty 

 wines only fit for distillation. Parilla, in Spanish, means a gridiron, as 

 typifying the grating in the firebox of the still, and it is this that the 

 obliquely crossed double lines, with which the casks are marked, are sup- 

 posed to represent (Xo. 9). Formerly three lines were usually drawn 

 each way. The three main faults which lead to the condemnation of a 

 young wine are — 



Acetification (becoming pricked), 

 Scud (bacterial fermentation), 

 Coarseness or basto. 



It was my privilege to go through a collection of young wines shortly 

 after the preliminary (November) classification with Don Pedro Gonzalez, 

 of whose kindness and valuable assistance to me whilst in Jerez I cannot 

 speak too warmly. I was thus able to taste young wines of all the different 

 t_\pes. Of the many interesting points which were then brought under 

 my notice, the two which, perhaps, impressed me most forcibly were the 

 lightness of the palma type and the nature of many of the parillas. I 

 was surprised to see some quite sound, though somewhat coarse, wines 

 sent to the still — wines which many a capable Australian cellarman might 

 describe as the "makings of a very good Sherry." I was equally sur- 

 prised to see wines which appeared to me to be almost pricked marked 

 as rayas, and in one case even as a palma — a coarse taste is more dreaded 

 bv the skilled sherry rearer than a slight acetic taint.* It was ex- 

 plained to me that such a wine, provided the acetic taint was not too 

 pronounced, would, after its alcoholic strength had been brought up a 

 couple of degrees, develop under proper treatment into a high grade wine, 

 whereas nothing could be expected of a wine with a basto taint — it would 

 never make a Sherry. 



At this first classification it is not possible to assign to every butt its 

 definite mark. Such wines as have completed their fermentation and are 

 sufficiently advanced are alone dealt with, the others being held over for 

 further examination'later, especially such wines as are not yet dry. The 

 parillas are eliminated and sent to the still. The palmas and the 

 more forward of the cortados can already be classed and even racked, 

 but a great many butts, not sufficiently advanced, must be marked, at least 

 temporarily, as rayas, though some of these find their way into a better 

 position later on. Such butts as are ready to be dealt with are now 

 brought indoors, if they had been stored in the open ; the others are left 

 untouched. 



The proportion of each type naturally varies considerably, but the 

 increasing demand for ilno wines has had for result that everything pos- 

 sible is being done to insure as many butts as possible developing on palma 

 lines. 



{To be continued). 



* This seeming contradiction is explained by the action of the fior film which can live at the expense 

 ■of acetic acid as well as alcohol. It is thus capable of reduciivj the acidity of a pricked wine, see Pasteur — 

 ' Etudes su r le Viiiai</re," page 103. 



