442 



is easy to prevent the development of the micro-organism 

 which causes it, by due attention in the vat and the 

 cask ; but once a wine is pricked it should, says Dr. 

 Guyot, "be sent to the vinegar factory, and never 

 attempt to use it as wine." The remedies proposed are 

 only palliatives, but are not radical cures. Pasteur- 

 isation will stop it, but won't remove the acetic; acid in 

 the wine. "Even after its neutralisation by means of 

 alkaline substances the wine will still have an odour 

 of acetic acid, accompanied besides by a bitter taste 

 which lingers in the throat." 



Milk-sour, Lactic Acid. A sickly rancid, sour-sweet taste, 

 caused by lactic fermentation, which takes place in wine 

 that has fermented at too high a temperature. A milk- 

 sour wine loses some of its fluidity, and its colour 

 becomes dull. Pasteurising will check the disease, but 

 it is almost impossible to take^away the defect of milk- 

 sourness. 



JEROPIGA. 



During vintage a stock of grape syrup is generally laid by for 

 the purpose of sweetening any port wine lacking in fruitiness. For 

 that purpose, crush dead ripe grapes and press out the juice, 

 evaporate on a slow fire in a copper boiler, heating to a simmer to 

 prevent the formation of caramel and keeping the surface well 

 skimmed. When the bulk is reduced to half its volume, add more 

 grape juice, and continue simmering until syrupy, with a specific 

 gravity of 20-22 or 25 B., then fortify by means of quarter its bulk 

 of grape spirits. 



PlQUETTE FOR DISTILLATION. 



What to do with the pressed marc or cake, made up of the 

 skins from the fermenting vats : Some cart it away and scatter it 

 on the ground to be ploughed in as manure ; at times it is turned 

 to better advantage and concerted into pork, and manure after pass- 

 ing through the pig, yet still more can be extracted from the freshly 

 fermented skins, and some spirits of wine may be saved without 

 materially, if at all, impairing its usefulness as feed for stock. 

 In Europe one ton of 2,2001bs. of grapes will generally yield 

 l,3001bs. of new wine and 7001bs. of marc or skins. From this 

 another 20 to 30 gallons of wine could be extracted, provided that 

 the cost of doing so did not exceed the value of the surplus wine. 



Two methods have hitherto been practised for the purpose 

 aforesaid, viz. : 1st. Placing the skins soaked with wine in the 

 boiler of the still and distilling the alcoholic vapours direct from 

 that spongy mass. 2nd. Soaking those skins in water and distilling 

 the wash. 



Both methods are unsatisfactory. They are either slow, yield 

 impure spirit, or they are wasteful. 



