106 GRATE CULTURE AND WINE-MAKING. 



utation in all France. It is here that the renowned "Chateau 

 Margaux" is made. The soil is gravelly, and intermixed with a 

 great quantity of pebbles. It is of a gray color, some clay, but 

 more sand. The grapes near the village are small and blue. 

 The vines are kept low, being on trellis- work only two feet high. 

 They are three feet apart each way. The vines are nearly all 

 sulphured. The didium rages here. The frost in the beginning 

 of the spring did much harm. 



After having breakfasted we went to the Chateau Margaux, 

 which is on the borders of the village. It consists of about eighty 

 hectares, and belongs to the Marquis Aguado, The regisseur re- 

 luctantly gave his consent to us to see the place. However, he 

 sent us to the head cooper, who was to show us around. We 

 entered a long room, supported by pillars in the centre. There 

 were but a few barrels here. In bad years it is here that the wine 

 is kept. In good years the wine is sold immediately upon com- 

 ing from the tanks or fermenting-tubs, or but a short time after- 

 ward. The country being all flat and near the river, no cellars 

 arc made. We were led into the room where the wine in bottles 

 is kept. It is about sixty feet long, narrow, and very well ar- 

 ranged to pile up bottles. The divisions are of stone, and each 

 contains about 200 bottles. 



The press-house is also very well arranged. There are seven- 

 teen large fermenting-tubs on one side of the room. The other 

 contains four large stone vats, one foot deep and twelve feet 

 square. In the middle of two of these there are two round press- 

 es. The sides of these are composed of jDerpendicular slats two 

 to three inches wide, and as many thick. They arc placed wide 

 enough apart to let out the juice, but not the seeds and skins. 

 In the centre is an iron screw, which is worked from above. 



The grapes, when brought from the vineyard, are thrown upon 

 tables whose bottoms are made of slats crossing each other at 

 right angles, and permitting the grapes to pass between. As soon 

 as they arc on these tables, the workmen, with the flat of the hand, 

 rub them against the bottom. The berries by this operation fall 

 through the slats, and the stem remains. It is immediately pick- 

 ed out and thrown in a tub placed for that purpose. 



The fermentation lasts from seven to ten days. Then the wine 

 is taken off, the residue put into the press and pressed. This forms 

 the second quality wine. When tlie second quality has been 

 made, the matter pressed is again thrown into a large fermenting- 



