41^ G fi N E R' A L ' D I R EC t T (TN S " Part Iir. 



within two' inches of the bufig, for about ten or twelve days, it muft 

 be filled to within an inch every live or fix days, for the fpace of a 

 month; after which, once a fortnight will be fufficient during the 

 next three months. 



Tho' the fermentation will be over long before this laft mentioned 

 time, yet the cafks muft be filled up once a month, fo long as they 

 continue in the cellar: for a; the wine will wafte infenfibly in the 

 caflis, it will grow fiat and lieavy, if they arc not kept continually 

 filled up. 'Twere needlefs to fay that the vent holes mufl be ftopt, 

 when the fermentation is over. 



In I'everal parts of Germany, where their grapes, feldom coming 

 to full maturity, are gathered fomewhnt green, they liave iron lloves 

 in their cellars, where they keep a contlant fire, which, by rarefy- 

 ing and heating the air, ripens and meliorates the wines, and renders 

 them much more palatable and agree;.ble than they would otherwife 

 be : keeping the wines in places conliderably warmed either by the 

 fun or fire, (as obferved in page 411) will have the fame efr'eft, even 

 fo late as in the fiimmer after the vintage: for thefe acid liquors re- 

 main long without fermenting thoroughly, or putrifying. 



As the wines drawn from the lall: gathering of the grapes cannot 

 be fo perfecfl as the others, for want of due maturity in the fruit, 

 the people of Champaign and Burgundy have recourfe to the follow- 

 ing method, to accelerate their ripening. When the wines have 

 been about three weeks in the cafks, they roll them up and down 

 therein for fome time, five or fix times a day, for four or five days 

 running ; then two or three times a day, for three or four days j 

 afterwards, once a day, for about four daysj then once a day, for 

 about a week ; and after that, once in four or five days. If the 

 grapes were gathered very green, the rolling in this manner is con- 

 tinued, in all, for about five or fix weeks: but if they were tolerably 

 ripe when gathered, rolling once in four or five days, for about a 

 month or fix weeks, will be fufficient. This rolling of the liquor 

 in the cafks will heighten the fermentation, by the agitation of its 

 parts; and the violent motion thereof heats the wine, which caufes 

 it to purify and purge itfelf, and accelerates its ripening, much better 

 than any other method can do. It likewife fweetens and flrengthens 

 it, by mixing and fhaking it together with its lees, and renders it 

 much more palatable. The fame method is alfo pracStifed when the 

 wine is of too weak a body. 



About the middle of December, the wines may be drawn off 

 from the lees into frefh cafks, for the lirfl: time, taking care to fill 



2 the 



