WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 307 



This is done in Europe in several ways, either by letting the 

 grapes hang on the vines until very ripe, and the small ber- 

 ries are half dried, in some cases even picking out the ripe 

 berries with needles, and then exposing them to the sun for 

 several days, upon screens, or straw; they are then crushed 

 and pressed. The must of course, being so very rich and 

 syrupy, will take a long time to ferment and develop, longer, 

 very likely, than our impatient people would be willing to 

 wait for them. It is in this manner that the celebrated 

 Tokay is made in Hungary. 



As I have never had much to do with making sweet or 

 fortified wines, I shall not go into any very elaborate de- 

 scriptions of the process, which come hardly within the 

 province of the smaller wine producer, for whom this book is 

 calculated. I shall only refer to the methods in a general 

 way, especially as I do not profess to be a judge of these 

 wines, nor partial to them. In fact, I do not consider them 

 wines, in the true sense of the word, which with me is the 

 pure, fermented juice of the grape. But as they are con- 

 sumed to a large extent, I do not feel justified in omitting 

 them altogether, leaving my readers to inform themselves if 

 they wish to make them, from a more competent source than 

 I claim to be. 



Angelica or Sweet Muscatel!. This is generally made 

 from Muscat of Alexandria, by letting the grapes get very 

 ripe, then crushing and pressing them, and as soon as this is 

 done, add about a quart of grape brandy of the usual strength 

 to each gallon of must, also stirring in about a gallon of 

 fresh lime to each 100 gallons of the must. This suppresses 

 fermentation, and clarifies the wine within two days. As 

 soon as it is clear, it is drawn off into casks, which are filled; 

 and only needs ageing to make it more palatable. The 

 German Muscateller or Frontignau, if treated similarly, 

 will make a much more delicately flavored wine, and it 



