190 AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE. 



separate according to the taste of the grower. After 

 fermentation the red wine is kept till March when it is 

 drawn off into fresh casks. White wine is drawn off 

 somewhat later. 



The white wine made of the Orleans grape at Riides- 

 heim is more fiery in its nature than the riesling wine, 

 which is mild. Both are equally well flavoured when 

 the grapes have attained perfection, and then the grapes 

 are also a delicious table fruit. Riidesheim is one of the 

 places to which patients resort who are recommended by 

 physicians to take a course of grapes. This pleasant 

 medicine is somewhat expensive, the grapes being valued 

 at Sd. or 9<i. per pound in the vineyard, while the pre- 

 scription runs for several pounds in the day. Weak 

 stomachs are soon regenerated by this course. The fine 

 Orleans and riesling gra}>cs ripen too late to be used in 

 this manner ; and earlier kinds, all of which are of inferior 

 flavour, are substituted for tliem, such as the Kleinberg, 

 and a delicate kind of green grape termed " gutedel." 

 The muscatel grape, called on the Rhine " traminer," 

 notwithstanding its luscious flavour, docs not equal the 

 riesling when the latter is fully ripe ; and, although the 

 small wine growers are fond of introducing the traminer 

 into their vineyards, yet it is not used anywhere in the 

 Rhinegau for the fine wines. The Riidesheim is one of 

 the high-priced growths, and is sold of fine quality at 90/. 

 to 100/. per pipe by the growers. A choice wine is now 

 constantly made in all the best sites by the larger growers, 

 who cause the grapes that first attain perfection to be 

 gathered separately. The winzers go for this task armed 

 w ith a thin sharp iron resembling a packing-needle and 

 pick the ripest grapes off the sunny side of the branches. 



