180 GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE-MAKING. 



clear it is decanted into barrels, to which, for each barrel, a cer- 

 tain quantity of the above dried grapes, well smashed, is added, 

 and well mixed with the mass. A new fermentation then takes 

 place, which commonly lasts from six to eight days. In Monte 

 Pulciano (considered by them the king of wines), the vintage is 

 retarded as long as the weather will admit ; then one tenth part 

 of the must is condensed by boiling and mixed with the other. 

 Trebiano makes her white wine from white grapes. This is of 

 superior qualit}''. They draw the fluid mass from the husks as 

 soon as the fermentation commences ; then again, in about fifteen 

 days, from the dregs (settlings) ; in a month later a third time. 

 The Topazio takes its name from the color resembling a topaz; it 

 is made in the same way as the Trebiano. The Malvaglia is 

 pressed from grapes which are soon made dry by twirling their 

 green stems ; the must is then heated to nearly the boiling point. 

 Toscolano has light but well-colored wines of an agreeable taste, 

 which keep well for twenty-five years. At Brescia the measure 

 zerla contains about thirteen gallons of ours, and twelve to fifteen 

 zerlas make one caro. 



Vino Santo (Holy wine) is a sweet wine from Castiglione and 

 Lonato, five leagues from Brescia. It is a golden-yellow wine, 

 sweet, mild, and of good flavor generally, if three or four years 

 old. This wine is made from well-assorted grapes, which are 

 spread on scaffolds, and kept there as long as December. They 

 compare it with the Tokay, and prefer it to the wines from Cy- 

 prus. Piacenza exports, under the name of Vino Santo, a mix- 

 ture of several species to Milan and Genoa. 



The wines of Vicentia are less spirituous than those of Priuli ; 

 but they are recommended to sufferers from the gout. In Vi- 

 cenza and Padua the grape-vines are raised on walnut-trees, which 

 impart an odor and taste to them not suited to every palate. 



Zara, though not renowned for more than middling quality of 

 wines, has distinguished brandies and wine vinegars. 



YII. 



SPANISH WINES. 



Spain has several wines of the choicest kind, and exports a 

 great deal. The greatest marts are Alicante, Malaga, and Xeres. 

 Malaga raises annually some 80,000 "arobas" (about 350,200 

 gallons), of which more than one half is exported. Catalonia 

 furnishes annually about 600,000 pipes (of 425 litres), or about 

 63,600,000 gallons ; Valencia, 3,000,000 cantaros (36,000,000 gal- 

 lonsi and some 6,000,000 pounds of raisins. 



Tne Spanish wines are nearly all made of thoroughly ripe 



