62 GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE-MAKING. 



was not related to a Dresel in California. His answer that he 

 was a brother only brought us closer together in our relations, 

 and we conversed as old acquaintances. The cordial and gentle- 

 manly manner of Mr. Dresel I shall not soon forget. 



After siDcuding a couple of hours in the establishment, and 

 tasting some sparkling wine, we returned to our inn. Mr. Dresel 

 joined "us at our supper, and we spent an agreeable evening. In 

 fact, we were up until half past eleven, which for a village is a 

 pretty late hour. Parting with Mr. Dresel, with the promise of 

 seeing each other next day for a thorough inspection, I went to 

 bed well contented with to-day's travel and the result of the in- 

 spection. I was also contented with the wines we had drunk, for 

 they were very good. 



August 24. — After completing my journal of yesterday, we went 

 to take a cup' of coffee, then started out with our host, Mr. Lem- 

 bach, who is a cooper as well as inn-keeper. He has the sujDerin- 

 tendencc of several cellars belonging to persons who do not reside 

 here. We went to a press-house, where we saw two presses with 

 screws; one screw received its resisting point from below, the 

 other from above. Neither of these presses are desirable for 

 imitation. 



From here he led us to his own wine-cellar, where he has about 

 seventy st'dch^ or pipes, each holding about two hundred and fifty 

 gallons of wine. He gave us to taste wings of three successive 

 years, coming from the same vineyard, forming eleven different 

 wines. These wines were made purely from the Eiesling grape ; 

 no other variety of grape was in them. The bouquet was fine ; 

 the wine clear and excellent. We tasted each wine separately, 

 then compared one with the other. The difference from year to 

 year was remarkable — so great that I was able to distinguish each 

 year. He had first and second quality from the same wine. His 

 mode of making wine is as follows : The grapes are gathered 

 after the dew has dried up, and are carried to the press-house, 

 where the bunches are separated into three, and in some cele- 

 brated vineyards into five classes. Each bunch of the first class 

 is carefully divested of the rotten berries, dust, or other impuri- 

 ties. These classes, once formed, arc worked separately and al- 

 ways kept apart. The grapes, once separated, are thrown into a 

 crusher, where they run through two cast-iron cylinders. When 

 once through this instrument they are put into a small vat, where 

 they ferment six, eight, and even sixteen hours, but are carefully 



