WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 311 



FlG. 31 4. 



If the wine is yet in the fermenting room, it can be drawn 

 off and removed to the cellar proper, for further development; 

 although, if well and fully fermented, it will be perfectly safe 

 in the fermenting room. This first racking, however, had 

 better be deferred until it has become clear, and deposited 

 most of the lees at the bottom of the cask, which is seldom 

 the case before two months. The old idea that the lees were 

 the " mother of the wine," and necessary to it until February 

 and March, is fully exploded now. The lees are nothing but 

 the excrements of the wine, the impurities contained in the 

 must, which fall to the bottom and are deposited there. As 

 soon as this has been done, the wine will gain nothing by re- 

 maining on them; on the contrary, the sooner it is taken 

 from them, the better for it. 



But no -matter whether on the lees or off, the casks should 

 be kept full; and it is necessary that this be done once a 

 week; from a small cask kept for the purpose. It is not 

 necessary, however, if the casks have been filled up once, 

 that this be done with the same variety of wine. Any good, 

 sound white wine will do to fill up all the white wines; and 

 one also for the red. Of course it would not do to fill white 

 wines with red, as t'hat would have a tendency to color them; 

 but if the red wines have color sufficient, a filling up with 

 white wines will do no harm, but rather give them finish and 

 smoothness. 



If the wines are kept in tight casks, have sufficient alcoholic 

 strength, and filled up every week, there is not much danger 



