WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 333 



developed, and not leave a trace of the pungency on the 

 tongue, which is always a sign of slow fermentation. 



The bottles should be perfectly clean, and of good glass. 

 For all wines resembling hock, take the long slender bottle, 

 generally known as hock, for red wines and Sauternes, the 

 common claret bottles are used. For cleaning bottles, a com- 

 mon brush of hog bristles, put cross ways through a handle of 

 strong double wire, does good service, though they can gen^ 

 erally, if new, be cleaned by rinsing in cool water. 



Use good corks; for on the cork being air tight, and clean 

 and fresh, depends the keeping of the wine in a great meas- 

 ure. Scald in boiling water first to make them soft, and ex- 

 tract all impurities ; let them stand a quarter of an hour until 

 they are thoroughly steamed and softened, then drain off the 

 hot water, and immerse them in cold clear water. 



For small quantities, no elaborate and costly bottling 

 machine is needed, but a single hand machine, consisting of 

 a wooden cylinder, with a rim lined with rubber, to fit on the 

 neck of the bottle, and lined with tin or zinc inside, will be 

 found very convenient. The cork is put in at the top of the 

 cylinder, which is placed .on the neck of the bottle, a wooden 

 pestle put on top, and the cork driven down into the bottle by 

 a few blows of a wooden mallet. The bottle should be 

 placed on a somewhat elastic substance below ; and as the 

 cylinder is narrower below than above, it compresses the cork 

 so that it will enter the bottle. They are made by parties in 

 San Francisco, Mr. Henry Waas, I think ; and can also be 

 found at Justinian Caire. 



You also want a small faucet that will fit the faucet hole of 

 your cask or barrel, and is small enough at the end to go into 

 your bottles. 



We are now about ready for the operation, provided the 

 cask you intend to bottle from, has been placed securely, so 

 that no stirring of any deposit can cloud the wine. Open the 



