GATHERING AND PRESSING GRAPES. 



ness must be observed, as in making butter, else the wine 

 will lose the fine fruity aroma and flavor of the grape, which 

 is to give it character and make it sell. 



It is now generally admitted that stemming the grapes, is a 

 great advantage to the wine. The writer has adopted a 

 cheap and simple method, which, if not as mechanical as 

 Mr. Corneau's, yet answers the purpose very well : A 

 wire screen of an oblong square form, with meshes of three 

 quarters of an inch, is placed to slide on a slight frame, over 

 a large receiving tub ; on this screen the mashed grapes are 

 poured from the mashing tubs, with a few vigorous slides 

 and shakes, the pulp and skins fall through the sieve, leaving 

 the stems on its surface. The stems comprise about one- 

 tenth of a measured bushel of unstemmed grapes. 



The "pummies" (skins and seeds after being pressed) is 

 thrown on the manure pile ; or, distilled, to make brandy. 



Mr. LONGWORTH says, "To insure success we must ob- 

 serve great care in selecting the fruit. Select good sweet 

 casks, and use cleanliness in expressing the juice, and skill in 

 the process of manufacture and preservation of the wine. 

 Keep it in a cool cellar, cask tight, and carefully rack the 

 same yearly, till the wine is perfectly fine, and fit for bottling ; 

 for wines, that have no alcohol added, require tight casks 

 and cool cellars, to keep them sound. They are less subject 

 to run into the acetous fermentation with us, than they are 

 in France and Germany. To the ropiness of which they 

 complain, our wine is not subject. It is a common saying in 

 France and Germany, that 'a poor man cannot make good 

 wine.' The reason is obvious. The rich man not only has 

 more influence in obtaining favorable opinions, but he also 

 uses more care and skill in the manufacture. The poor man 

 must sell his wine as soon as made. The rich man retains it 

 till it is improved by age, and never sells any under his own 

 name, but that which proves to be of superior quality. The 

 vintage of bad years, is sold without a name. So much de- 



