ON COLONIAL WINES. 257 
who examined the Victorian wines at Sydney in 1870. 
I know not the plans adopted by Weber Brothers* 
August Heine, Heine and GreifFenhagen, whose red 
wines were nearly free from this gout de terrain, but 
think it cannot be very dissimilar. As the red wines 
have to be fermented on the skins to give them colour 
and tannin, there is reason to fear they mostly receive 
more or less injury from the thick "cap," as it is called, 
which is formed by the husks and stalks on the top of 
the vat. To obviate this, the best French makers keep 
this "cap " pressed down below the surface of the fluid 
so as to prevent any air from touching it, by means of 
a false lid, a little smaller than the diameter of the vat 
This lid should be forced down a few inches below the 
surface of the must, and the vat finally covered with 
some thick cloth, such as a horse rag or two. I state 
this, because, as a precautionary measure, it is of value 
and the cost of it is trifling. I have for several years 
been trying to ascertain if this earthy taste is due to 
any change in the tannic acid, such as oxidation of a 
portion of it into some higher form, such as gallic acid. 
But I am not yet prepared to say with certainty that 
it is. My opinion, based on some results obtained 
within this year, inclines to this change. It must be 
remembered that fermentation frequently becomes very 
violent in Victoria, and when matters are in their 
transition state, it is hard* to tell what may happen 
Moreover we are not yet certain as to the part played 
m the tumultuous fermentation by gummy matters 
and others in a transition state from acid to sugar 
Mr. Baldini acts, in my judgment, wisely, by gathering 
his red grapes only when warmed by the sun and 
