AGRICULTURE. 205 



fermentatiou, excej^t that it receives much more attention, and 

 is made from a more careful selection of berries, than any other 

 kind of wine. After the first fermentation, the wine is put in 

 bottles, and these are placed in racks with their necks down, 

 the racks bein<? made so that the bottles can be raised and 

 lowered ; and the position of the bottles is changed from time 

 to time, to assist fermentation, which continues, though in a 

 suppressed form — the carbonic acid gas being retained in the 

 wine, instead of escaping as it does during the fermentation 

 of still wines in the open barrel. The management of spark- 

 ling wines is very complicated. It varies greatly in different 

 places, and is usually kept as secret as possible. Thus, the 

 Sainsevains keep their process to themselves. 



White grapes will not make a red wine ; but the skins, if 

 left to ferment with the juice, will give it a dirty-yellow or 

 light-brown color. 



The general custom, in making wine, is to use the pure juice 

 of the grape, but wine-makers consider it not unwholesome or 

 disreputable to put sugar, water, or brandy, into certain kinds 

 of wines ; all of which, however, are unnecessary and injurious 

 to the finer kinds of still wines. Sugar and water endanger 

 the keeping qualities of the wine, and brandy spoils the flavor. 

 In France, it is common to put sugar or rock-candy into w^ine 

 intended for the sweet tastes of the Americans ; and in bad 

 years, when the grapes are sourish, they sweeten a little for 

 home consumption. Brandy is sometimes used to prevent 

 wine from turning into vinegar ; but the mixture, if strong 

 enouixh to have the desired eifect, deserves rather the name 

 of adulterated brandy than of wine. Different kinds of pure 

 wines may be mixed without impropriety, but the label should 

 not misrepresent the nature of the mixture. It is a fraud to 

 mix a bad wine with a fine article, and then sell it by the name 

 of the latter. If a wine-maker sends his wine into the market 

 under his own name, no other person can honestly mix any 

 thing else with it, and still preserve the name of the original 

 maker. 



