200 Lessons in Fruit Growi 



ng. 



312. Maturity of grapes for wine. The riper grapes are, 

 the more fully is their characteristic flavor developed, and 

 the more sugar and the less acid do they contain. Grapes 

 free from foxiness ^ should be permitted to become fully 

 ripe before gathering (208); foxy varieties are preferably 

 gathered as soon as they are well colored. 



The evidences of ripeness in grapes are: (a) the browning 

 and shriveling of the stems; (b) the shriveling of the berry 

 about the stem; (c) the thinness and transparency of the 

 skin; (d) the sweetness and hone3'-like consistency of the 

 juice. 



313. The kind of wine made will depend much upon the 

 method. Light-colored, smooth wines are made by ex- 

 pressing the juice soon after the mashing of the grapes; 

 darker aud harsher wines are made by permitting the 

 mashed grapes to ferment more or less before pressing. 

 White wines cannot, however, be made from grapes with 

 dark-colored juice, nor can verj' dark wines be made from 

 white grapes without artificial coloring. An excess of acid 

 in the unfermented juice (must) maybe corrected by the 

 addition of water, aud the proper sweetness may be gained 

 by adding sugar. There is, however, a peculiar and delicate 

 aroma in wines from perfectly ripened grapes that cannot 

 be artificially produced. 



314. The manufacture of wine on a moderate scale re- 

 quires less expensive apparatus than the making of cider, 

 unless the wine is carried to the later stages of fermenta- 

 tion, in Avhich case a special cellar is required. The grapes, 

 which should be freed from all unripe or decayed berries, 

 and all superfluous stems, are mashed by passing them be- 



' Foxiness is the coarse, sour taste characteristic of some varieties o£ Amer- 

 ican grapes, notably those derived from Vlils lubrusca (,180). 



