JOHANN CARL LEUCHS ON WINES. 169 



to gather the fruit wliile there is any dew on it. Here also the 

 grapes arc crushed by the feet, and tlie grinding-mills arc no 

 more in use. In a season of fuilure the fruit is put through the 

 press as soon as it is brought in from the field ; but in good sea- 

 sons it lies for twelve or eighteen hours before it is pressed, so that 

 the saccharine matter may become fully developed. Separating 

 the berries from the stems, which was formerly done, is now dis- 

 pensed with, as of no account and expensive; for the stems at so 

 late a vintage are too dry to impair the quality of the wine. 



The red wines of Asmannhausen,in the Rhcingau, arc also of a 

 very valuable description. In strength they excel all others made 

 on the Rhine, not excepting even Burgundy itself They possess 

 a peculiar spicincss which is rarely met with. The narrow limits 

 of this tract, however, permit the cultivation of but few vineyards. 



The prejjaration of the wine, as practiced in the Duke's cellars 

 at Rlidcsheim, is as follows : The grapes are pounded together 

 with a must-club, and then conveyed to Riidesheim ; there they 

 are thrown en masse into a square trough with a flat bottom of 

 wire gauze, underneath which is another vessel mto which the 

 berries are swept with a stiff besom, passing through the wire 

 sieve, and falling into the vessel beneath. After this operation, 

 they are mashed together with wooden pounders until the whole 

 is pounded into a pulpy mass. 



The fermenting of red wines is conducted thus : Tubs are placed 

 veftically, in which a faucet is inserted at the lower edge ; over 

 this hole a perforated little board or tin is nailed, to prevent the 

 husks from entering the faucet and obstructing the passage of the 

 wine. Thus the wine will run freely through the faucet without 

 being clogged up by the pulp of the grapes. Into these tubs, thus 

 fitted up, the conglomerated mass of mashed grapes is put so far as 

 to fill them up to within a quarter part of the top. Then a cover, 

 perforated with small holes, is fastened with some three or four 

 props over the mass, so that, when the same commences to fer- 

 ment, and consequently rises, nothing but the carbonic acid gas 

 and the fluid part of the mass can penetrate through those small 

 holes, of which the former two will virtually prevent the atmos- 

 pheric air from mixing with and souring the husks, which, on 

 their part, would communicate this sourness to the wine. After 

 the above precaution is taken, a well-fitting cover is inserted and 

 luted air-tight. Into this cover a curved tin or glass pipe is in- 

 serted, the upper end of which is put into a small vessel filled with 

 cold water. The water will absorb the carbonic acid gas, so del- 

 eterious to human life ; but the water, becoming saturated with 

 the gas, must.be renewed daily. Thus the whole is left until the 

 fermentation is complete, which commonly will take place within 

 three weeks. After this the fluid part is decanted through the 

 faucet ; the cover, together with the perforated board, is removed, 

 and the husks properly pressed, each kind of the juices being fill- 



