Vintage. 325 



XIV. 



VINTAGE. 



/"'RAPE-GATHERING terminates the series of 

 annual operations involved in the culture of the 

 vineyard. The first question, then, to be settled, is 

 the degree of .ripeness the crop ought to have. 



Degree of Ripeness of the Grapes. — It is al- 

 ways an advantage, the quality of the wine being the 

 chief object, to allow the grapes to attain their highest 

 degree of ripeness. This condition is indicated by the 

 combination of the following signs : 



1. The ends of the stems turn from green to brown. 



2. The bunch hangs down. 



3. The berry loses all its toughness ; its pellicle be- 

 comes thin and transparent. 



4. The berries come ofF with ease. 



5. The juice of the grape is pleasant, sweet, thick, 

 and sticky. 



6. The seeds are free from any glutinous substance. 

 All other things being equal, however, dark grapes 



oiFer these signs sooner than white ones. 



There are circumstances owing to which the grape- 

 gathering should precede these signs ; on the other hand, 

 there are others which require that it should follow at 

 a long interval. 



Thus, in several localities in the north of France, the 

 grape seldom reaches the degree of ripeness we have 

 just indicated ; nevertheless, the crop must be gathered, 



