Chap. XII. FOR MAKING WINE. 41,7 



the cafks up, and to place them fo that they may not be fliakeii or 

 difturbed, until the middle of February, when it will be right to 

 draw them off again into other caflcs, which fliould likewiie be lilled 

 up, and kept where they may not be difturbed, till the latter end of 

 March, or the beginning of April, at which time it will be proper to 

 fliift them again into other cafks. 



When the wine is fit for bottling, a frofty day, if the feafon of 

 the year will permit, or, for want of that, a cool and dry one, 

 {hould be chofen: experience having fhewn that wine drawn off 

 either on a hot, or on a cold and moifl, or a rainy day, will never 

 be fo fine as that which is bottled in clear fettled weather. The 

 fame rule Ihould be obferved in fliifting the wine from one calk to 

 another. 



We fliall clofe this article with a few diredlions, which Mr. Mil- 

 ler tells us have occurred to him from fome obfervations and ex- 

 periments more particularly relating to the making of wine in Eng- 

 land. 



The grapes, fays he, being ripe, fhould be cut when they arc 

 perfedlly dry, and carried into a large dry room, where they fhould 

 be fpread upon wheat ftraw, in fuch manner as not to lie upon each 

 other. In this place they may remain a fortnight, three weeks, or 

 a month, according as there is conveniency; obferving to let them 

 have air every day, that the moiffure perfpired from the grapes may 

 be carried off. Then, the preffes and other things being in order, 

 all the grapes fliould be pulled off the bunches, and put into tubs; 

 taking care to throw away fuch as are mouldy, rotten or not ripe, 

 which, if mixed with the others, would fpoil the wine: the fl;alks 

 of the bunches fliould alfo be thrown away : becaufe if they are 

 preffed with the grapes, an auftere juice will come from them, which 

 will render the wine fliarp and acid. Mr. Miller is of opinion that 

 the want of this precaution has fpoiled great quantities of wine made 

 in England, which might otherwife have proved very good: for, as 

 he' rightly obferves, in France, and other wine countries, thofe who 

 pay more regard to the quality than the quantity of their wines, al- 

 ways pick the grapes from off" the flialks before they are preffed: 

 much more ought we in England, where the climate is lefs favour- 

 able, not to omit any art which may be neceffary to help the want 

 of fun. 



The grapes, being thus carefully picked, fliould be well preffed. 

 If red wine is intended to be made, the hufks and flones fliould be 



H h h put 



