10 



WIN 



WIN 



But the authors of the Maison Rus- 

 tique say that the duration of the 

 infusion of the husks should be pro- 

 portioned to the heat of the wea- 

 ther, the quality of the grapes, and 

 the intended colour of the wine. 

 For the Coulange wine four hours 

 only are allowed. The wine is apt 

 to contract a roughness from the 

 stalks, if it remains too long on 

 them ; and too much fermenting of 

 the must renders the wine harsh 

 and coarse, depriving it of its most 

 volatile parts. Others make it a 

 rule not to draw off their must till 

 its head begins to fall ; but this is 

 evdently wrong, because a great 

 part of the most active spirits of the 

 liquor is thus evaporated. 



" Indeed, for thicker, heavier 

 and coarser wines than those of 

 Burgundy and Orleans, which are 

 chiefly intended above ; ssuch, for 

 example, as the Bourdeaux claret, 

 a whole day is frequently allowed 

 for steeping of the husks, and some- 

 times more, before the press is re- 

 curred to. 



" When the must has fermented 

 upon the husks in the tubs or vats, 

 as long as is thought proper, it is 

 poured or drawn off, strained, and 

 put into casks. Afterwards the 

 murk, that is, the remainder of the 

 grapes at the bottom of the tub or 

 vat, is collected together, and put 

 into the press, and pressed three or 

 four times, till it is perfectly dry, 

 the sides being cut down each time, 

 as in making white wine. The li- 

 quor thus obtained, especially if 

 the press be screwed so tight as to 

 crack the seeds of the grapes, has 

 a stronger body than the former 

 running, but not any part of its tine, 



high and delicate flavour. Some, 

 however, mix a little of it with 

 their other wines, to strengthen 

 them, and make them keep the 

 better. 



" Others, from a spirit of econo- 

 my, pour as much water as they 

 think proper upon the murk in the 

 vat, immediately after the must 

 has been drawn off. They do it 

 without delay, lest the murk should 

 turn sour, as it is apt to do. Then 

 they stir it about, and leave it upon 

 the murk, a longer or shorter time, 

 according to the heat of the wea- 

 ther, till they find it pretty high- 

 coloured, and judge that it has in- 

 corporated all the remaining parti- 

 cles and spirit of the wine. They 

 then draw this water off into ano- 

 ther vessel, and carry the remain- 

 ing murk to the press, where they 

 squeeze it till no moisture remains 

 in it. The liquor thus expressed is 

 mixed with that which was drawn 

 off before, and is then barrelled. 

 This is chiefly intended for com- 

 mon use, or rather for servants ; 

 but it will keep no longer than 

 during the following winter, though 

 it is brisk and pleasant enough 

 while it keeps good. 



"Another use the French make 

 of the murk, is, to mend such of 

 their wines, whether old or new, as 

 are deficient in colour or strength. 

 They turn them out ofthe casks into 

 the vat immediately after the must 

 has been drawn off, stir the murk 

 up so as to mix it thoroughly with 

 the wine, and let it stand twenty- 

 four hours if it be new wine, and 

 twelve hours if it be old. When 

 they find it has taken a sufficient 

 degree of colour, and that it is not 



