The Placer herald., 1861-01-05
Wine Farming and Making.

Wine farming will, in few wears, become
simplfied, and almost as easily understood
as corn planting. There is no mystery in it,
Experience alone must teach the proper posi-.
ton and soil; the righ distance apart for the
vines; the most judicious methods Of spring
and summer pruning; and as for cultivation,
keep the ground clean with the pow or cul-
tvalcr, like corn. Certain rules are given
in books, for vineyard culture, as pursued in
the Ohio valley. These are the European
systems, adapted to our own country. 1t
will be sa g to follow these rules, until, by
experimenting, we can find better There is
more room for progress in this branch of
agriculture, than in almost any other.
Making the wine is as simple as making
cider. The great lunches are cut from the
vines, and all unsound or unripe berries
picked off the bunch and thrown into a
bucket, to make-wilh the addition of sugar
vinegar, or an inferior wine. The perfect
grapes Of each days cutting are taken to
the wine house, and in the evening, after
being mashed in barrel with bee,e-stem
and berries-or passed through wooden roll
ers in small mill, are put on the press, and
the Juice extracted About one third runs
off without any pressure The outer edges
of The romace are cut off for eight or ten
inches, after the first pressing, separated with
the hands, and thruwn on top, when the
power Of the screw is applied, and another
pressing is made. This is repeated two or
three times. Tie juice from The last pres
sing, being very dark and astringent is put
with the inferior wine. The other is put in
In .,o1.c fIl.l nl,nrt Evn he fn11 10
terment and make the good wine No sugar
or brandy should be added to the best Cataw-
ba juice-or must-as it makes better
wine without, and is strong enough to keep
well. One end Of a siphon is placed in the
bung hole Of the cask-the other being
crooked over, rests in bucket of water.
The fermentation commences in day or
two, and the carbonic acid escapes through
the water. In ten or fourteen days, the
siphon may he removed, the casks filed up,
and the hung driven light Yin a month,
tightly. In mid winter the wine is drawn
off into another cask, and the lees OF the
wine, with the pomace Of the grapes, is used
to make brandy.
The wine will be clear and pleasant to
drink in month or two after the first fer
mentaton ceases. The second fermentation
occurs in the sp ing about the time of the
bIossoming of the grapes; this is tut slight,
and it will be mere Y necessary to loosen the
bung> when it is over, the wine will be clea.
in two or three months, and safe 20 bottle.
but that operation had better be deferred
until November. And this is the whole
pro' ess Of making still wine-lhe wine for
general use; and being a natural product of
the pure juice Of the grape, it is more whole.
some than any mixed or artificial wine, how
ever showy or high priced it may be.
Let the grapes be well ripeneo; the press,
casks, and all vessels perfectly clean, and
then keep the air from the new wine, by
having the casks constantly bung full, and
there is no danger of its spelling. This is
the whole secret.
1t is presumed that no one will 90 into
wine farming largely at first; but take the
precaution to test, by the cultivation of a few
acres, the capabilities of the soil, position
and climate, ard the kind of grapes best
suited to it.
g. Buchanan, in Ohio Valley Farmer