206 GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE-MAKING. 



always more durable than those of a quick one. In such too 

 much alcohol escapes. It may, however, be retarded by decreas- 

 ing the warmth, or by burning sulphur in the vats. 



The greatest possible cleanliness is absolutely necessary during 

 the process. The edges of the bungs have to be frequently clean- 

 ed ; and care must be taken that no parts changed by the air re- 

 enter the wine. 



When filling it into the casks all the husks must be left out, as 

 these are pressed over again, either to give an inferior quality of 

 wine or to make vinegar. The casks are filled up to the bung ; 

 but if the wine be subject to a strong after fermentation, only up 

 to within several inches below the bung-hole. The bung-hole 

 must only be lightly covered by a leaf or a stone. Every second 

 day the cask must be filled up again. 



The finishing of the first after fermentation may be known 

 when no more air-bubbles arise, and the stone on the bung-hole 

 does not become moist any more. "When this is the case, the hole 

 must be closed tighter. The filling up must, however, be contin- 

 ued every eight days at first ; later, every fourteen days ; and still 

 later, every four weeks. 



As the young wines, especially if they contain many slimy 

 parts, deposit a great deal of yeast, they must be draivn off from 

 this from time to time. The rules about this are, however, differ- 

 ent in all the grape countries. 



The Malcing of Sweet Wine. 



Wine is called sweet in which only a part of the sugar parts 

 are decomposed, and, consequently, the fermentation is not en- 

 tirely finished. This might be attained by filling the young wine 

 into closed casks before it has fermented out, and checking this 

 latter process by an addition of salt, mustard, etc. The wine 

 would then, however, not get clear, but would easily relapse into 

 fermentation. It is, therefore, better to take must containing much 

 sugar and but few yeast parts. As this will not be sufficient to 

 decompose all the sugar, a part of it will remain undissolved in 

 the wine. The grapes of warm countries generally have these 

 conditions by nature, and consequently produce sweet wines. 



They are still made richer in sugar by boiling down a part of 

 the must and adding this to the rest ; or the yeast parts are re- 

 duced by boiling and scumming the must, or adding gypsum that 

 decomposes the cream of tartar. An addition of sugar would 

 likewise tend to the first end, and a filtering through charcoal to 

 the second. 



In Portugal they add spirit (that makes a part of the yeast in- 

 capable of fermentation) to produce the celebrated Angelica or 

 Gcropica wine. Sweet wines need, for the most part, an artificial 

 clearing. 



In Alsatia they select the best and ripest grapes ; leave them as 



