THE ART OP WINE MAKING. 243 



spongy or porous, allowing the liquor to pene,, 

 trate or escape by the pores, or where it has been 

 perforated by the cork screw or other instrument; 

 in fine, where any imperfection exists, it should 

 be rejected. A negligence in this case will al- 

 most insure an unfavourable change in the wine. 

 When the bottle is filled within an inch of the 

 mouth, it should be carefully closed and turned, 

 so as to judge whether the wine will leak out 

 and escape when left on the shelf. It should 

 then be placed on the side, in the vault, or other 

 position destined for its reception, on a frame or 

 lattice, in ranges or piles, of ten or twelve deep, 

 which should be so strong as not to bend beneath 

 the weight of the superincumbent mass. To 

 protect the wines from the injurious effects to 

 which they are exposed from light, it is the prac- 

 tice of many vintners to cover the bottles when 

 thus arranged, with sand, the character of which, 

 where the choice is at command, should be sili- 

 cious rather than calcareous; and a preference 

 should be given to a vault which is damp, and 

 rather warm. The first of these means is that 

 usually adopted, because it is more expeditious, 

 and occasions less breakage. In drawing the 

 wine from the cask, it will be prudent to suspend 

 the work on approaching the bottom, when but 

 little remains in the vessel. The cask should 

 then be carefully raised (if tilted) and remain at 

 rest till the following day, on which the last of 

 the contents should be drawn off, bottled and 

 placed in a different quarter of the vault, to be 

 used the first, or consumed for ordinary, or culi- 

 nary purposes. 



