72 



added to the main bulk, and the further treatment is the same as that 

 required during ferinentat on in the ordinary way. 



Racking < ff the Wine. As soon as active fermentation ceases the wine 

 should be drawn off and filled into smaller casks. By this means it is 

 separated from the lees and placed in casks that can be handled readily. 

 No precise rules can be laid down as to the time wine should be left in 

 the vats to ferment, as local conditions such as climate, season, and 

 variety may have more or less an influence. The safest rule to go by is 

 when the bubbling sound caused by the rising of the carbonic acid gas 

 ceases, and the thermometer only indicates a temperature a few degrees 

 higher than the surrounding atmosphere. The drawing off is most 

 usually performed by means of a tap in the side of the vat, but very 

 often the work is done with a syphon. Great care must be taken, 

 whichever plan is adopted, that no lees are drawn off with the wine. 

 Activity does not altogether cease when the wine is drawn from the 

 fermenting vats. A limited amount of sugar, from two to four per cent., 

 still remains, and this is slowly changed into alcohol. This process is 

 called "insensible fermentation," as the signs are less noticeable than in 

 the first, or " active fermentation." At the time it is drawn off, the wine 

 gets aerated more or less, and the oxygen thus asorbed assists the 

 fermentation of the remaining sugar into alcohol. Though the casks 

 may be well filled from the fermenting vat, yet a shrinkage will soon 

 take place from various causes, and the deficiency must be promptly 

 made good. If a space is lefc unfilled the wine is liable to oxidize too 

 rapidly. Second and even third rackings are required for some wines in 

 order to get rid of deleterious matter. 



Blending and Fining. When wines are deficient in any desirable 

 qualities, or contain some particular material in excess, blending may 

 often prove of great service. Very frequently wines \\ill contain too 

 much alcohol, tannin, acidity, or colouring material, and by care and 

 judgment in blending these defects may often be modified. As a 

 matter of course, the wines used for blending must possess such 

 properties as are likely to affect the desired purposes, and there 

 should be some affinity between them and the wines they are applied 

 to. All kinds of wine cannot be blended together, and it will be 

 folly to adopt the practice with those that differ widely in character. 

 Sometimes wines remain turbid and cloudy, notwithstanding 

 various and careful rackings, and in order to assist clarification it 

 will be necessary to use materials to "fine" them. In the case of 

 blended wines, turbidity will often occur through the dissolving 

 powers of the various sorts differing. It is essential that the matter 

 in suspension be removed, not only to make the wine look brighter, 

 but also to insure that it will keep sound. Fining may be effected 

 mechanically by filtering the wine through sand, or other materials 

 suitable for the purpose, or it may be done with albuminoid substances 

 whose action is mainly chemical. Albuminoid substances when 

 applied to the wine, form a glutinous film, the result of coagulation 

 caused by the tannin and acids. This film, after a few days, gradually 

 falls to the bottom of the cask, canyiiig with it all matter held in 



