125 



mentioned as used for mixing ; but the new should not be under teu 

 months, and if possible should be a year old. If wines of four or five 

 months old are added to those of three or four years, not to say older, 

 their principles are not in harmony, and the evil ferment will redouble 

 instead of bemg allayed. 



Though some bottled wine^ attacked by this|change, has been known 

 to recover by itself, it would be very unsafe to risk the loss of all the 

 wine in expectation of such a fortunate circumstance. It is best 

 to stum, fine, and rack. 



5. Of Pricking. 



This seems to be occasioned by the contact of the external air ; and 

 seldom comes from any other cause than negligent bimging up. The 

 wine is impoverished, grows pricked, and loses its bouquet ; wliite 

 filaments are seen in it, a proof of the alteration of the vegeto-ani- 

 mal principle. At first it may "be easily relieved, especially if the 

 wine has body and strength : it must be racked off into an empty cask 

 which has lately held good wine, and which has been thorough- 

 ly sulphured ; the cask must be filled up and luted ; a fortnight after, 

 the wine must be fined, racked, and bottled. 



But if the taste is very sharp, one third or more of newer, strong, 

 and more alcohohc wine must be added ; or what is preferable, 15 or 

 20 gallons of fresh lees to a cask containing 240 bottles ; nux it up well 

 ■with the altered wine once a day at noon for three or four days ; then 

 let it rest a month, rack it ofi" and bottle it. If the accident happens 

 during the vintage it would be well to pass the altered wine over 

 the murk. 



It is almost needless to add that by fresh lees is meant the lees 

 from which new wine is racked, and that there may be substituted 

 for it, for some wines, either brandy or alcohol in certain proportions. 

 But the drugs in recipes for this purpose, such as salts of saturn, 

 ceruse, litharge — are to be avoided ; they are preparations of lead and 

 all poisonous. 



One vine-grower has saved his wines from pricking by watering the 

 outsides of the casks, during the season that the products of the 

 Vine are disquieted by an internal ferment, with cold weli-water or 

 even applying ice. The cold promptly arrested the elementary fer- 

 mentation, and prevented its developement 



