WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 269 



cess of impure air, yet gives them sufficient vent to finish fer- 

 mentation completely. 



The treatment of all these varieties is about the same in 

 the first stages of their development, if they are to be dry, 

 light wines. The German Muscateller or Frontignan can 

 also be made into a dry wine in the same way, but it is best to 

 press it immediately in all cases, as the flavor of the grape is 

 naturally .strong, and will be developed to an unpleasant 

 degree by fermentation on the skins. 



(b.) MAKING WHITE WINES FROM BLACK GRAPES. 



This is often advisable, and especially now, when white 

 wines sell so much more rapidly, and at higher prices than 

 reds. We have some red varieties however, the so-called 

 <c coloring grapes," which have red juice, and which therefore 

 cannot be used for white wine. These are the Lenoir, 

 Teinturier, Gamay Teinturier, Pied de Perdrix, Petit Bous- 

 chet, and perhaps a few others. In fact, anything of which 

 the juice runs red, when you squeeze a berry between you* 1 

 fingers, cannot be used for white wine. But when a vintner 

 has Mission and Malvasia yet, he certainly ought to make as 

 much white wine from them as he can, and either throw away 

 the pomace or use it for distillation or port. They make a 

 fair white wine, but the dry red wine made from them, 

 deteriorates with age, and never is very good. But there are 

 many red wine grapes, which have all the color in the skins, 

 and which, when pressed immediately and lightly, will make 

 a nice white wine from the first run, when the mark or 

 pomace, which of course contains a good deal of juice yet, 

 and all the coloring matter and tannin, can be put into the 

 fermenting vat, either with other red grapes, or fermented 

 alone. Of course, the first run is the best juice, and will 

 make the smoothest wine ; but this is not generally sought 

 for in clarets; in fact, the trade has so far demanded deep 

 color, astringency and flavor, all of which would be increased 



