173 AMERICAN GRAPE GROWING 



before it was six months old, at the highest figures Ca- 

 tawba wines were then bringing, to the first buyer who 

 came and tasted it. 



As the Catawba constitutes yet, to a great extent, the 

 product of Eastern and Northern vineyards, it may be 

 well to give a few more hints to my readers on the man- 

 agement of Catawba must. This variety contains, as 

 already mentioned, a very large amount of acids, as well 

 as a great deal of tannin and flavor. This must be ap- 

 parent to every one who has ever eaten well-ripened Ca- 

 tawba grapes. It has besides a very tough and acid 

 center or pulp, of which every one can convince himself 

 when eating even the most thoroughly ripened Catawba 

 grapes. The first taste is delightful, but let him press 

 the pulp and skins closely and he will find that the after 

 taste is sour and rough. Of course fermentation extracts 

 all this, and while the Catawba contains all the ingredi- 

 ents for a palatable wine, these two are present to a very 

 great excess, and make the wine sour, astringent, and 

 unpalatable. What then is necessary ? We must simply 

 add water and sugar, even in the best vintages, to ameli- 

 orate this, and much more in inferior seasons, and we 

 will make better wines than are now in the market and 

 much more wholesome, than the so-called " Sweet Oa- 

 tawbas," which are villainous compounds of unripe grape 

 juice, raw spirits, and syrup added after fermentation, 

 and afford an excuse for the habitual tippler to say that 

 he drinks only wine, not whiskey. It would be better if 

 he did take spirits so far as the effects on his system are 

 concerned, for such mixtures intoxicate nearly as much, 

 and the deleterious stuff they contain is only glossed 

 over by the syrup. If Catawba wine is rationally Gall- 

 ized, it makes a very pleasant, high-flavored wine, and 

 those who prefer to have it still sweeter, can add sugar 

 when drinking it, to suit their taste. If this were done, 

 we would have no need of these " Sweet Catawbas " 



