494 THE VINEYARD. [Sept. 



wine; after which it is to be treated as before directed, observing 

 to take similar pains in pressing the juice out of the pulp when 

 sufficiently fermented, as recommended under the article White 

 JVines, but this will not be so difficult. 



The antiquity of the practice of boiling the must may be inferred 

 from the following story related by Mutardi-Ben-Gasif, an Ara- 

 bian author: 



"Noah being come out of the ark, he commanded each of his 

 sons to build a house; they afterwards busied themselves in sowing 

 and planting trees, for which they had found kernels and necessary 

 fruits in the ark. Noah wanted the vine only, nor could he ever 

 find it. Gabriel then gave him notice that it was the Devil who 

 had stolen it away, because he had a right to it. Noah made him 

 come forward immediately, and said to him: Oh! thou accursed! 

 wherefore hast thou carried the vine away from me? Because it 

 doth belong to me, quoth Satan. Share it betwixt you, replies 

 Gabriel. 1 agree to that, continued Noah, and I'll let him have 

 the one-fourth. That will not be sufficient for him, replied Gabriel. 

 Well! I am willing, said Noah, to take one half, and he may have 

 the other. That is not still enough, said Gabriel; he must have 

 two-thirds of it, and thou only one, and thy must shall be boiled 

 on the fire until it has consumed up the two-thirds, the use of the 

 remainder shall be granted unto thee." 



What a pity! that Mutardi-Ben-Gasif did not inform us of the 

 progress made by his Satanic majesty in the cultivation of the vine, 

 to whom Gabriel's favours had been extended so very bountifully, 

 even not to the injunction of boiling his must. 



General Remarks. 



Ideal, as well as intrinsic qualities, cause one kind of wine to be 

 preferred to another, so that one nation or country admires what 

 another does not like, or perhaps despises; and even this ideal 

 fancy is not uncommon among individuals of the same country, 

 town, or place; consequently, it will be well to know how to vary 

 the properties of wine according to fancy. 



If a taste of wine slightly acid, similar to that of the Rhenish, is 

 desired, some tartarous acid may be added to the must. 



If the wine is required sweet, the must should be drained in such 

 a manner that it may retain as little as possible of the lees, and let 

 it afterwards ferment of itself. Some sugared matter might be 

 joined with it. 



If the wine should be wanted delicate and of a light colour, the 

 must should not be suftered to have a long action on the lees, from 

 which it takes principles that augment the fermentation, and dis- 

 solve in consequence the mucilaginous parts, together with the 

 colouring matter. 



Should a strong wine of good body be preferred, the must ought 

 to be sutVered to remain the longer on the dregs, in case the grapes 

 do not afford it of sufficient strength. Or the boiling of the must, 

 in the manner before observed, will accomplish this. 



