W IN 



WIN 



513 



drawing it off, whether into bottles 

 or casks, is when the weather is 

 extremely fair and clear, the ba- 

 rometer high, and the wind nor- 

 therly ; because the air is then 

 coolest, and the wine laast apt to 

 be upon the fret. 



Raisin Witie is a wine made from 

 raisins steeped in water. 



" Take thirty gallons of soft wa- 

 ter, either rain or river water, in 

 as clear a state as possible. Put 

 it into a vessel at least one ihird 

 bigger than will contain that quan- 

 tity ; and then add to it one hun- 

 dred weight of Malaga raisins pick- 

 ed from the stalks. Mix the whole 

 well together, that the raisins may 

 not remain in clotted lumps : And 

 then cover it partly, but nut entire- 

 ly, with a linen cloth; and let it 

 stand in a warm place, if the sea- 

 son be not hot. It will soon fer- 

 ment, and must be well stirred 

 about, twice in four and twenty 

 hours, for twelve or fourteen days. 

 It must then be examined by the 

 taste, to try if the sweetness be 

 nearly gone off; and if that be 

 found so, and the fermentation be 

 greatly abated, which will be per 

 ceived by the raisins lying quietly 

 at the bottom, the fluid must be 

 strained off, and pressed out of the 

 raisins, first by hand, and after- 

 wards by a press, if it can be easily 

 procured. But, instead of a press, 

 two boards may be used, with the 

 assistance of a large weight, or 

 other strong force, which mu?t be 

 continued as long as any fluid can 

 be made to drop from the mass. 

 The fluid being thus separated from 

 the skins of the raisins, must be 

 put into a good sound wine cask, 

 65 



well dried and warmed, together 

 with eight pounds of Lisbon sugar, 

 and a little yeast. But some part 

 of the liquor must be kept out, to 

 be added from time to time, as the 

 abatement of the fermentation, that 

 will come on again, may admit, 

 without the wine rising out of the 

 cask. In this state it must con- 

 tinue for a month, with the bung- 

 hole open : And then, the whole of 

 the liquor kept out having been 

 now put into the vessel, it must be 

 closely stopped up, so that no air 

 may enter: And in this state it 

 must be kept a year, or longer; 

 then bottled off. 



" The wine may be drunk, and 

 will be very good, at the end of a 

 year and a half: But it will be 

 much better, if kept longer, and 

 will improve for four or five years. 

 When it has a proper age, it will 

 equal any of the strong cordial fo- 

 reign wines ; and may, by the ad- 

 dition of proper substances to fla- 

 vour and colour it, be made to re- 

 semble them." 



" This is the most perfect kind 

 of what may be called artificial 

 wine ; but others may be made 

 cheaper. Expense may be saved 

 two ways: One is, substituting su- 

 gar for raisins, leaving out four 

 pounds of raisins for one pound of 

 sugar added. Or the proportion 

 of sugar and raisins, and a propor- 

 tion of clean malt spirit added, 

 when the bung of the cask is clos- 

 ed up. 



" Any other kind of large raisins 

 may be used, instead of the Mala- 

 ga. The thinner the skins are, 

 and the sweeter tbe pulp, thQ 

 stronger the wine will be." 



