405 



tricts, and will permit of interesting comparisons being drawn with 

 the must of previous years. 



Chemical Test. As already seen, the empirical as well as the 

 physical means we have of ascertaining the richness of grape must 

 is in practice found sufficiently correct, although not absolutely so. 

 It is to laboratory tests we must rely for an exact determination of 

 the contents of a must in either sugar or acids, and as these tests 

 are not readily made by the majority of wine makers, I refrain from 

 referring to them at any length. 



WINE, PEE, TON OF GRAPES. 



The amount of wine yielded by a ton of grapes varies according 

 to a number of circumstances, chiefly the kind of grapes, the kind 

 of season, the locality, the climatic conditions, and also the time of 

 gathering. 



Tf a broad average be taken, several of the grapes more 

 extensively grown will yield as follows : 



Cabernet 100 to 115 gallons 



Morastel 110 120 



Shiraz ... 120 135 



Mataro 130 140 



Doradillo 140 160 



In France an average of about 70 per cent, is obtained, whereas 

 in Australia, which, on the whole, is warmer and drier, the same 

 grapes yield 60 to 65 per cent, of wine ; or, in other words, lOOlbs. 

 of crushed grapes yield about six gallons of wine. 



SHOULD G-RAPES BE STALKED. 



The question is often asked should grapes be stalked before 

 fermentation ? Experience with us, as well as wherever wine is 

 made from the choicer varieties of grapes, distinctly gives an 

 affirmative answer. A chemical examination of the stalk show that 

 there is little or nothing in it which enters into the composition of 

 wine. The only soluble substances it possesses viz., tannin, 

 albuminoid substances, organic acid, and salts already occur in 

 abundance in the grape must. Wines fermented with husks and 

 stalks added are harsher than wines fermented without stalks ; 

 they also often show an earthy taste, and are not so clean to the 

 palate. These disadvantages are serious enough in themselves, but 

 there are other reasons why wines red wines are here inferred 

 should not be fermented on their stalks, such as the economy of 

 space in fermenting, stalked grapes occupying one- third less space 

 inside the vats ; the greater similarity between wine running freely 

 from the vats and press wine, which when stalks are present are 

 invariably much harsher ; another reason is that wine from stalked 

 grapes mature quicker and can be marketed sooner than would 

 otherwise be the case. 



