FERMENTATION OF WINES. 77 



is still more observable, and fermentation nearly ceases, until 

 the temperature becomes almost the same as the surrounding 

 air, and cold weather comes on. At the end of December 

 the wine will be nearly clear, and this is the time I recommend 

 for the first racking. At the end of February, the weather is 

 still colder, and more of these foreign ingredients are separ- 

 ated, hence this period is recommended for the second rack- 

 ing, the wine will then be mellow and nearly clear. In the 

 middle of April, when the vines begin to push forth their 

 buds, the wine ferments again, but if it has been well racked, 

 it possesses little yeast, and the fermentation will be slow, 

 and more of the sugar will be retained in an unchanged con- 

 dition, so that the wine is more palatable. 



What happens, on the contrary, with wines that have not 

 been racked ? With the increasing temperature of the season, 

 in April or May, fermentation commences, and the escaping 

 carbonic gas stirs up all the sediment from the bottom of the 

 cask, bringing it into contact with the wine, which retains a 

 portion of what it had before thrown off, the yeast also, thus 

 mixed, will decompose more sugar, and the result will be a 

 too hard and too astringent wine, that must require years to 

 render it again mellow. L. REHFUSS. 



March, 1852. 



(From the Western. Horticultural Review.) 

 FERMENTATION OF WINES. 



The growing importance of the manufacture of wine, from 

 our already numerous vineyards in this immediate vicinity, 

 calls for the attention of those engaged in that particular 

 branch of industry. 



The great deficiency of the knowledge of the principles 

 which govern the fermentation and changes of the must, or 

 juice of the grape, is sufficiently attested by the numerous 

 poor specimens of wine offered in our market, showing con- 

 clusively a want of skill, as well as proper attention to the 



