Sept.] THE VINEYARD. 489 
The method of making Wliite Wines. 
In the middle states, the general vintage will happen some time 
in this month, earlier or later according to the season; it will, 
therefore, be necessary to be provided with a bufficient number of 
clean, sweet casks, new, if for white wines, to prevent their colour- 
ing the liquor, but red wines may be put into any cask, without 
injury, provided they are sweet and clean. You must also be pi o- 
vided with a vat for mashing the fruit in, and with a suitable con- 
trivance for pressing out the juice. 
Let it be observed that white wines are made from black as well as 
from white grapes; that the former, generally makes the strongest 
and best wines, and that it is from the skin of the black grapes, when 
fermented with the juice and fiulfi, that the red tinge is obtained. 
When you perceive the grapes to be fit forgathering, which you 
may judge of by the eye and taste, for when perfectly fit for eating, 
they are then in the best condition for making wine; make choice 
of cloudy weather, if such should occur, and early in the morning, 
or very late in the afternoon, being provided with a sufficient 
number of careful people, each furnished with a basket to hold the 
fruit, and a crooked pointed knife or a pair of strong scissars to cut 
off the bunches, let them begin their work, collecting only such 
bunches as are open, ripe and perfectly sound, passing over all that 
are green, not matured, dry, rotten or bursted. The stalk of every 
bunch should be cut off close to the fruit, and the bunches laid gently 
into the basket without bruising or pressing them together. 
The grapes which are not sufficiently ripe, must be gathered at 
another time, and treated in like manner. 
As the grapes are collected, they, must be immediately carried to 
the press or vat, for the sooner they are pressed after gathering, 
the finer and whiter the wine will be, and not only that, but it will 
be more mellow, have a more exquisite flavour, and be greater in 
quantity. 
As your Vat is filling, the grapes are to be trampled and mash- 
ed effectually by men, having their legs and feet previously washed 
very clean; then let your machine for pressing fall down thereon, 
which will force out the liquor plentifully, having a cask conve- 
niently placed to receive it. 
When the liquor ceases to run from the press, raise it and cut up 
the cake to pieces with steel shovels, and press it again, together 
with all the loose grapes that happened to be scattered, and you will 
have another plentiful running of good liquor. 
This is called wine of the first cutting, which will be of a fine 
colour and flavour, little inferior to the other, having a stronger 
body and will keep longer than that of the first pressing. 
The cutting and pressing is to be repeated, as often as you find 
the liquor to run, and that from the second and third cutting will be 
still good, of a sufficient body to keep for a length of time, and 
with age will acquire mellowness and an improved flavour. 
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