256 GRAPE CULTURE AND 



CHAPTER II. 



THE CELLAR ! 



. Before making the wine, room should be provided to keep it. 

 This, in making a small quantity, need not be an elaborate 

 structure; in fact a common house cellar, which can be kept 

 at a temperature not exceeding 80 in summer, will answer, if 

 only a few casks are to be made. The main consideration is 

 always to have the wine well fermented and thoroitghly clear 

 the first winter:, if this is the case, it will keep almost any 

 where in our temperate climate where we have.no severe 

 cold in winter, and the nights are generally cool in summer. 

 I have seen as good wines stored in simple holes in the 

 ground, as have come out of the finest cellars. But if you 

 want to follow it as a permanent business, and make from 

 10,000 to 30,000 gallons annually, with storage room to keep 

 at least a part of every season's crop, you had better erect 

 good, substantial buildings; whether of stone, brick or wood, 

 is immaterial, and may be governed by the facility you have 

 of obtaining the material. Double walls of redwood are 

 about as durable as stone or brick, at least durable enough to 

 last a lifetime ; the main point is that the lower story at least, 

 in which you aim to store your wine, should keep a fairly 

 even temperature, not varying much from 70, 65 is still 

 better. At the Talcoa Vineyards, near Napa, which I 

 managed for over five years, we had a building with a capa- 

 city of 60,000 gallons, which answered all purposes admirably, 

 and in which I never had a case of imperfect fermentation; I 

 will describe it here, and anyone can change the dimensions 

 to suit his wants. 



