150 



of his own soil, the clues to still more appetising mixtures ; while ho 

 gives his best endeavours to the cultivation of the plant and the per- 

 fect manipulation of the wine-making process. 



3. Straw Wines. 



These are so called from the grapes being formerly spread for 

 several months on straw, or hung on ropes of straw, before beino- 

 stemmed and crushed. Straw wines are still prepared in several 

 vineyards of the district of Colmar (Haut Rhin,) ; in the neighbour- 

 hood of Nancy, (de la Meurthe) and at I'Ermitage (de la Drome). As 

 the modes of pressing are different, it may not be amiss to give a 

 succint description of them. 



In the department of Upper Rhine, straw wine is only made in 

 very favorable seasons ; the best and ripest bunches are selected from 

 those varieties called rcitzende or refined ; tJiey arc hung upon poles 

 across the beams; and are visited daily, to pick out rotten or specked 

 berries. They are exposed to the currents of air until frost, when, 

 they are covered to protect them from the cold. The grapes are 

 stemmed in March and carried to the press. As the grape is half 

 dry it affords but little must, which ferments slowly. The liquor is 

 drawn off as soon as the fermentation subsides ; and it is one tenth 

 the quantity of what it would have been at the time of the vintage. 

 It is extremely sweet and smooth, and must be clarified and bottled. 

 This wine has no fault save a slight tang of tartness which disappears 

 as the wine mellows. When six or eight years old it is very neat 

 and agreeable. 



In the departments of Meurthe and those in the neighbourhood, the 

 grapes are prepared the same way, but they are squeezed in December. 

 In March the liquor is bottled, corked, waxed and stowed away in 

 garret lofts. There it completes its fermentation and becomes spark- 

 ling like Champagne. 



The Hermitage straw wine is of a golden colour, and has a fla- 

 vour like the flavour of raisins. It does not begin to ferment until 

 several months after it is put into the cask, and therefore, in speaking 

 of its age, the first year is never counted. The fermentation some- 

 times lasts six years, and it is not until two or three years after, that 

 it is ripe enough to please; but then it is reckoned one of the best 

 cordial wines in the w^orld. Very little is made of it, doubtless on ac- 

 count of the minute cares and many details requisite to fabricate it in 

 perfection ; and the difliculties besides, in the way of sale, of an arti- 

 cle so necessary to be warranted, and co-stb' in all cases. 



