242 THE ART OF WINE MAKING. 



the pores. In the first case, the fermentation 

 continues with an active movement, whereas in 

 the second, it is sluggish and insensible. There 

 is, however, a danger of putting the wine in bot- 

 tles too soon. Such ill timed haste is to be 

 avoided, for, far from improving its quality, they 

 suffer an injurious deterioration by the indis- 

 cretion. 



The bottles intended for this service require 

 a careful selection. They should be clear, per- 

 fectly united, free from flaw or blemish, and by 

 all means without that excess of potash, some- 

 times found in our glass manufactured vessels. 

 Without this latter precaution, the wines will 

 soon part with their flavour, their odour, and 

 deep purple tinge, and their chief excellence may 

 thus be lost. The bottles should first be rinsed 

 with pure water, and then cleansed with sand, 

 or gravel. When they are intended to receive 

 a fine dessert wine, it will be judicious to saturate 

 the extremity of the cork, by plunging it into 

 brandy, before closing the bottle. The cork 

 frequently contains a considerable quantity of 

 the astringent principle, and as this astringent 

 principle, when brought into action by a con- 

 tact with the wine, and changed moreover with 

 the vault, determines the mould with extreme 

 facility, it will be necessary to adopt the pre- 

 caution of steeping the corks, (first shaving 

 off the point, below which it is to enter the bot- 

 tle, a small portion in order to expose a new sur- 

 face,) into hot water, and when fully saturated, 

 to dry them either by fire or the rays of the sun, 

 (the latter being preferable when time will per- 

 mit) before using them. Where the cask is 



