WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 323 



Filtering and fining. These are important agents in aging 

 wines, by removing all the substances which would induce a 

 second or third fermentation. 



Heating. Pasteur has invented a process by which the 

 wine is subjected for a short time to a heat of 130 to 140 F. 

 This is on the theory that when wine has come to a certain 

 stage of development, the Ja^at kills all the germs of further 

 fermentation. This, however, excludes all further improve- 

 ment also, and while U may be advisable to apply to com- 

 mon wines, I would certainly not apply it to fine wines. 



As a general rule, if wine is well and thoroughly fermented, 

 and well treated afterwards, in racking, clarification if neces- 

 sary, the casks are kept well filled, and at an even tempera- 

 ture, it will not be found necessary to resort to any more 

 artificial means to age it. Good treatment will often pro- 

 duce an older, /. e. more developed wine in one year, than 

 the same variety, but under slovenly treatment, will furnish 

 in three. In fact, slovenly treatment will not and ought not 

 to make, good wines; while careful handling will always pro- 

 duce them. It is the old question of the survival and suc- 

 cess of the fittest, which is eminently verified in wine making, 



There is a great difference also in the wines as to the time 

 when they reach their highest perfection. Wines rather thin 

 and light, deficient in body and tannin, as also in color, will 

 develop sooner and reach their highest state of development 

 in a much shorter time, than those rich in sugar, flavor, color, 

 tannin and alcohol. In fact all the grand, fine wines need a 

 longer period to reach perfection, but will also retain it much 

 longer than the reverse. It takes more time naturally to bring 

 out their high quality, but when it does come, it is to stay. 

 Thus it may be safely asserted that the general run of Zinfan- 

 dels and Burgers will not improve after two or three years at 

 the furthest, while the Cabernet Sauvignons, Chauche Noir 

 {or true Burgundy), Riesling and Traminer will be best after 



