436 



FARMERS' REGISTER— MAKING CHAMPAGNE WINE. 



the marc of grapes, which is pressed again two 

 or three times, as well a? the rest: for it is impor- 

 tant thai the marc be entirely dried. 



The wines ol" the first, second, and third press- 

 ings, are carried successively and put into the 

 pvmcheons in the order of their extraction from 

 the press, as has been intimated above. 



Finally, in certahi cantons, only three successive 

 and rapid pressings are given; in others but two; 

 in all cases, however, it is necessary that the three 

 operations should be performed within the space 

 of an hour and a lialf at the most. 



The white wine which has been put into the 

 puncheons enters into a fermentation, violent at 

 first, and subsiding into an imperceptible fermen- 

 tation. By pressing the marc more or less briskly 

 (vlvemcnt) the fermentation is increased or di- 

 minished. About the end of December, by which 

 time the wine has undergone a proper elaboration, 

 it becomes clear, and in fine dry frosty weather it 

 is racked. It is always contrived to keep the wine 

 in an equal temperature before bottling it, by which 

 care it is obtained equally purified. 



Fining. 



To fine the white sparkling wines and the rose 

 colored, (which will be spoken of hereafter) isin- 

 glass from Russia or Marseilles is used, this is 

 melted witli a little cream of tartar, (supertartrate 

 of potash) or sometimes with alum, when the red 

 wines appear ditficuk to clear. The mixture is put 

 to steep in water and squeezed with the fingers 

 or palms of the hands; the water becomes white: 

 the eighth of an ounce (gross) of isinglass is suf- 

 ficient lor a cask. 



The wine is racked a second time in March, 

 and sometimes fined again if it seems to require 

 it, but the quantity of isinglass is less than that 

 employed in the first fining. This second racking 

 is usually made fiileen days before the wine is 

 bottled. 



To increase the richness of the wine a cordial 

 (caramel vineux) is made, composed of sugar- 

 candy and white wine clarified. 



Rose colored xoine. 



When it is desired to make rose colored wine, 

 the grapes are squeezed and gently stripped from 

 the clusters, they are shaken and left in a state of 

 fermentation; afterwards they are carried to the 

 press and receive the same pressings as for the 

 sparkling white wines. This wine is set to work 

 with raisins which color it. 



The bottling and formation of the piles. 



The wine is not bottled till towards the end of 

 March; this operation being finished, the corks 

 are tied with common tu'ine and iron wire, and 

 then the piles of bottles are formed. For this 

 purpose, laths are placed upon the g."ound hori- 

 zontally and in two parallel lines, at such a dis- 

 tance that the two ends of the bottles may rest 

 fixed and solid; two rows of bottles are placed in 

 opposite directions; then other laths are fixed on 

 these two first rows, and on these last laths other 

 bottles, and so in succession to the desired height 

 of the pile. This height is perpendicular, and 

 pretty generally from three to tour feet, that is to 

 say, the piles are raised to the height of from ten 

 to fourteen diameters of the bottoms of the bottles. 

 There are piles of which the length does not ap- 



pear to be fixed; their thickness also seems to be 

 arbitraiy, jet they are calculated at two bottlea 

 abreast, after which an interval of about a finger 

 is lefl between the piles lor the circulation of air. 



Of the breakage. 



The breakage which the makers suffer com- 

 mences in March, and continues in May, and 

 sometimes till the wine is ready for sale. This 

 breakage, which has not yet been sufficiently stu- 

 died, ha? appeared hitherto to be a simple effect 

 of fermentation; it is not felt by the maker unless 

 it exceeds twenty per cent.* 



New method of purifying the wine or fur the clear- 

 ing (degorgement) jO-o??! the sediment. 



After the bottling, preparations are made for 

 clearing ofl" the sediment formed in the bottles. 

 For this, the bottles are placed upon racks, or 

 planks pierced with lengthened oval holes, with a 

 neck; the bottles are inclined towards their mouths, 

 this inclination is supposed to be of about thirty 

 degrees. 



When it is designed to collect the sediment 

 which the wine contains, the bottle is shaken, 

 without being moved out of its place, by turning 

 it as gently as possible, one-third of its largest di- 

 ameter.f These three circular motions given with 

 equal dexterity and skill, force the sediment to col- 

 lect together, and the inclination of the bottle 

 causes it to be fixed upon the cork. J 



When it is well ascertained that the sediment is 

 collected upon the cork, the bottles are taken one 

 alter the other to examine the clearness of the 

 wine, which is then said to be without any trace 

 of light volland. This word, purely professional, 

 signifies stain or shade of a sediment of a dark 

 color. 



If the wine is in a proper state, they proceed to 

 the clearing. 



The clearing (Degorgement.) 



The person who performs this operation takes 

 the bottle which is to be cleared, lays it along 

 upon his left arm, and alter having inverted it, 

 holds it in a perpendicular position. Provided with 

 a small instrument which he holds in his right 

 hand, he breaks suddenly the twine and wire 

 which confine the cork; this forcible breaking by 

 shaking the cork, permits the gas to expand and 

 force the cork out of the bottle. At this moment 

 the sediment is disengaged, and falls all together 

 into a vessel placed to receive it. The operator 

 supposing the sediment completely discharged, 

 restores the bottle to its upright position by a quick 

 and dexterous turn of the hand, and examines it 



* M. Herpin has observed that the breakaji^e may be 

 much diminished by filling tlie bottles only two-thirds 

 or three-quarters full during the whole time necessary 

 for the clearing of the liquor. , 



t Not more than thirteen years ago, they took the 

 bottle in the hand and shook it; this sliake, always too 

 violent, did not allow the wine to free itself entirely of 

 its sediment; and hence it was naverobtained perl'ectly 

 clear We are indebted for the new process to four 

 Germans, who taught it to Madame diguot of Reims, 

 who for man}' years has derived great advantage from 

 it. 



f The original is not clear in this, for there is no pre- 

 vious mention of the three circular motions. — Tr, 



