426 



mentations are more the rule than the exception at many of our 

 vineyards. The temperature in three days rose up to 97 degrees, a 

 degree of heat which is prej udicial to a healthy fermentation. Con- 

 currently with this rapid rise of the temperature, the attenuation of the 

 must, or, in other words, the conversion of the grape sugar into alcohol, 

 was speedily completed, although the must originally contained as 

 much as 23'5 per cent, of sugar. It was sheer luck that fermenta- 

 tion was completed without the vat getting " stuck" before all the 

 sugar had been converted into alcohol. Such wine, although sound 

 now, must have been robbed of much of its delicacy and of those 

 wine ethers which produce the much-prized " bouquet." 



No. 3 represents a fermentation of two tons five cwt. of Shiraz 

 grapes. The timely use of ice here averted a disastrous fermenta- 

 tion. In two and a-half days the temperature jumped from 77 deg. 

 F. to 99 deg. F., when 851bs. of ice were placed in the coolers on 

 the 17th of February in the morning, and the temperature was in a 

 few hours brought down to 88 deg. F. It is well to explain that 

 the optimum, or the most suitable degree of temperature for the 

 yeast germs of vinous fermentation, ranges between 80 deg. to 

 90 deg. F. Below 80 deg. fermentation is sluggish, and the yeast 

 germs work slowly ; above 90 deg. F. fermentation becomes for a 

 time tumultuous, until as the heat increases and gets nearer 

 100 deg., when the yeast germs by degrees become paralysed and 

 soon die, unless prompt relief is brought to them and the degree 

 of heat reduced. When that higher temperature is reached, 

 latent germs of diseases, such as the mannitic ferment, which pro- 

 duces sour sweet wine, as well as other germs of maladies of wine, 

 take possession of the fermenting mass, and in a short period spoil 

 the wine. 



In the instance under review the dangerous zoneof temperature 

 was soon reached and as quickly reduced, and although the ferment- 

 ing mass was only subjected for a very few hours to a temperature 

 ranging over 95 deg., the evil effect soon became apparent, and had 

 not ice been timely applied, over 200 gallons of wine would have 

 been irremediably lost. On the fifth day, the new wine was drawn 

 into clean, cool casks, and still contained as much as 3*5 per cent, of 

 grape sugar. Owing to the timely application of the ice, fermenta- 

 tion shortly afterwards started again, and the wine is now dry and 

 sound. 



No. 2 chart illustrates a healthy fermentation, and with proper 

 care, the resulting wine should exhibit all the qualities which are 

 prized in good wines. 



The grapes are the choicest sorts used in wine-making, and 

 are such as produce the celebrated Medoc and Hermitage wines of 

 France. They were picked before they became over-ripe. A small 

 quantity of tartaric acid was added to the must to further help the 

 yeast plants in converting the grape sugar in the must into whole- 

 some alcohol in the wine. 



The fermentation lasted six days, and the temperature was 

 maintained below 90 degrees F. The cap, made of skins and seeds, 



