80 Wine-Making. 



BUSHBERG CATALOGUE. 



Temperance. 



thing to their wine, as these manipulations re- 

 quire scientific accuracy and practical skill, other- 

 wise the result will surely be no improvement, 

 aye, will most likely prove ruinous. The manu- 

 facture of sweet wines, cordials or liqueurs, and 

 that of sparkling wines, is not within the scope 

 of this brief manual. 



A natural wine, the pure juice of the grape, 

 properly fermented and educated, will always be 

 superior to any artificially improved wine, and 

 the only necessary conditions to obtain such 

 tiuperior natural wine are: 



1. Good ripe grapes. 



2. Clean vessels and utensils. 



3. A proper, uninterrupted high temperature 



during fermentation. 



4. Drawing off, as herein described, in De- 



cember or January. 



5. Drawing off again in March or April. 



6. Drawing off after second fei'mentation. 



7. Keeping the casks full, by refilling from 



time to time with good similar wine. 



If these essential conditions are strictly com- 

 plied with — and they are neither many nor verj^ 

 difficult — wine-making will be a success. 



Some, however, say that American wines are 

 very inferior, '-scarcely fit to drink!" This was 

 the preco'uceived opinion of foreigners, and of a 

 great many Americans too ; also, most American 

 hotels and restaurants keep none but foreign 

 wines — or else native wines under foreign names 

 and labels; — and we are often asked whether we 

 hoped ever to produce as good wines here as in 

 Europe? Now, while we are lar from presuming 

 that '-we can make wines which will rival and 

 surpass the best wines of France, Germany, and 

 Spain," we do claim that we are producing some 

 very good wines, and shall before many years, by 

 planting our best varieties and by progressing in 

 the art of wine-making, fully equal the average 

 production of the wine countries of Europe. This 

 is no idle boast, no mere opinion of our own. The 

 ^ood qualities of American wines are now appre- 

 •ciuted b}^ the best and most impartial judges. 

 Prof. St. Pieri-e, the late celebrated Director of 

 the Agricultural School of Montpellier, says in his 

 "Memoir" {Extract from his Rapport) : 



"The study of wines furnished by American 

 varieties has engaged my whole attention since 

 1875. . . . 'I'he musts of the following varieties: 

 Jdcquez, Bulander, Cynthiana, Black Ji(I>j,, Elvira, 

 and many others, are found to be sweeter and 

 richer than the musts of our best southern va- 

 rieties. . . . The fine mountain wines of the south 

 of France find their equivalents in the Black Juli/, 

 Jacqnez, Norton, and Cynthinna ; color, alcohol, 

 savor, body, and keeping qualities, none are miss- 

 ing, and their products are equal to the good 

 wines of the Provence or of lloussillon. . . . Trade 

 Avill also find American wines for blending, simi- 

 lar to those of the Narhouiia; the color and rich- 

 ness of the Jacqnez, Norton, Clinton, etc., do not 

 yield in the least to the deep-color wines of 

 France." 



"In the category of white wines, some Ameri- 

 can varieties offer eipially valuable types. The 

 wines of Diana and Elvira remind us of our good 

 JPiipteponl.s; the Ctinnini/lann. made as a white wine, 

 presents characteristics approaching our (rrcnache 

 wine. . . . It is thus evident that besides grafting, 

 which enables us to obtain our French wines on 

 American stocks, the direct cultivation of many 



American varieties can give us wines of true 

 value. ... I hope that the prejudice against 

 these wines by persons who never tasted any 

 others than Concord and Isabella wine, will finally 

 fall before the evidence of experience." 



May we not hope that the prejudice of our own 

 American people will finally yield, and will rather 

 trust to their own palates than to foreign labels 

 and high prices? 



But we are aware that there exists still another 

 prejudice — one which condemns all tcines, both 

 native and foreign, from fear of their intoxicating 

 effects. And we cannot close this chapter without 

 a few words on 



THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION. 



Wine is itself an apostle of temperance. The 

 best medical authorities, such as Dr. Lunier, 

 Medical Inspector of the Insane Asylums and 

 Prisons of France, and at the same time Secre- 

 tary of the Temperance Society, has shown by 

 able researches and reliable statistics that the 

 ratio of percentages of disease and crime, attribu- 

 table to alcoholic excesses, decreased in propor- 

 tion as in each district the consumption of wine 

 and beer increases; that the evils of intemper- 

 ance are worse in the districts where wine and 

 beer are scarce; that natural wine and beer cures 

 the thirst for distilled spirits instead of exciting 

 it. The French Temperance Society aims to re- 

 press entirely the circulation and sale of bad 

 spirits — discovering modes of detecting them, 

 punishing adulterations, and encouraging the use 

 of pure, cheap wine, beer, tea and coffee, as the 

 best means of curing the thirst for distilled 

 alcohol. They think, probably, as we do : 



" To the sewers and sinks witli all such drinks 

 And after them tumble the mixer." 



American travelers, returning from Southern 

 Europe, who were strong opponents of wine be- 

 fore they visited those countries, now testify that 

 where wine is most abundant, cheap and gener- 

 ally used by the people, drunkenness does not 

 exist. The French Temperance Society receives 

 the hearty support of all the leading physicians, 

 scientists, legislators and of all intelligent men. 

 Such a society in America, if properly organized, 

 would receive similar support from all intelligent 

 citizens of our country; but our temperance 

 societies here, aiming after absolute prohibition, 

 regardless of the principles of personal liberty, 

 injuie the very cause which they advocate with 

 more zeal than wisdom. 



We do not deny that wine is intoxicating if used 

 to excess; but "good wine is a good familiar 

 creature if it be well used," 



" I'^i'oni the wine cup's red and fiery fountain 



From the jroblet s depth, enchanted irleaming, 

 Deadly poison or a sweet I'cfresliinent, 



Beauty or vulf^arity ai-e si reamius- 

 'Tis accordinf? to the (Itinlcer's pleasure, 

 'Tls liis will that nua lilies tlie measure. 

 Thus the fool, by coarsest slumber fettered, 



Lies enchained— the slave of his desires; 

 Yet the cup tliat rol)s him of his manhood, 



At onr lijjs but si !'enjr1 liens and ins])ires; 

 Kindles sijarks of wil ;ibout us iileaiiiiriir, 



Li'iids our sijeech an aniicl's inspiration, 

 Throu:.ih each vt'iii a inaKic irlow sends streaming, 



liending beauty's sweet iiiloxicatioii. 

 Foi' is wine not like unto tlie raindrop 



Whicii is filth itself wlien filth it reaches, 

 But on fruitful ground it proves a blessing, 



And its hidden worth to mankind teaches." 



J 



