328 GRAPE CULTURE AND 



California wines. If it still remains turbid, after two to three 

 weeks, filter or fine heavily, and when the wine is clear, put 

 into freshly sulphured casks. Such wine is apt to go into 

 putrid decomposition, and should be watched closely ; but 

 well fermented and handled wines will not show any of these 

 symptoms, and the cellar man is generally to blame for their 

 appearance. 



Ropiness or toughness. Its cause is a viscuous fermentation 

 in wines, which makes it slimy in appearance, so that it does 

 not run freely, but draws in threads. It is caused by an ex- 

 cess of albuminous matter, and want of tannin; generally only 

 appears in certain white wines, which are very mild naturally. 

 It can be cured by the addition of an ounce of tannin to one- 

 hundred gallons, dissolved in wine and added in the manner 

 of fining, stirring it well, and after two or three weeks, rack 'it. 

 Sometimes lack of tartaric acid is the cause, and certain of 

 our best wine grapes, for instance Franken Riesling, which 

 are rich in albumen and rather lacking in acidity. A new 

 fermentation over the husks of grapes rather high in tannin 

 and acidity will also cure it. 



Mouldy taste. This comes from impure casks, and the 

 cellar man is to blame for it when it does occur. It can only 

 be prevented by cleanliness. The wine should be racked 

 into a sweet, clean cask, well sulphured; or fermented again 

 over fresh pomace; but will generally retain a trace of it. 



All of these diseases seldom occur if the proper care is 

 taken, and I can only reiterate the instructions as to the ut- 

 most care in fermentation, cleanliness of all utensils, racking 

 at the proper time, and with proper care. If this is done, 

 we need have no diseased or defective wines. 



