WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 327 



mould on top, which the Germans call kahm, and the En- 

 glish writers very unappropriately, I think, the flowers of wine, 

 for it certainly does not bring forth good fruit, and is any- 

 thing but ornamental. The surface of the \\ine which shows 

 them has become flat, acetic, and mould begins to form; and if 

 not counteracted at once the wine will spoil. It is generally 

 found on wines weak in alcohol, or those that are neglected 

 in filling up and bunging. The simplest mechanical means 

 of counteracting it is to fill the cask so that it runs over, and 

 if this is done gently and slowly the mould will float out on 

 the surface of the wine. When no more mould appears, the. 

 cask is bunged up tight. It will, however, also be necessary 

 to rack the wine into a fresh cask which has been newly sul- 

 phured, and when the wine has run down to the faucet look 

 out closely; if any mould appears, keep the wine separate; or 

 if you fill it into the same cask spread a flannel cloth over the 

 funnel, and strain the mouldy wine through it. If this is done 

 promptly the wine can be saved, but if left in the cask with 

 the mould on it, it will soon spoil altogether, becomes flat, 

 looses all sprightliness, and acquires a disagreeable, mouldy 

 taste. 



Dull bluish or leaden color. Flavor of the lees. This is 

 also due to neglect generally, and will seldom appear in well 

 regulated cellars. Its cause is generally improper racking, or 

 rather neglect of racking at the proper time, or mixing turbid 

 wine with the clear at racking, or irregular temperature in the 

 cellar, also defective fermentation. Rack into a fresh cask 

 well sulphured, and see if they will clarify. If they still re- 

 main dull and turbid, it is to be supposed that they lack 

 either tannin or alcohol. If the former, it can be added as 

 indicated before ; if the latter, a quart of alcohol to every 

 twenty gallons. The alcoholometer will show if the wine is 

 weak in spirits, and the above proportion is for a wine of eight 

 per cent, of alcohol, ten being the lowest normal strength of 



