The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-04-17

Ahe Niihtuns NNha, NAtaNpa, Delaware, /
and other grapes are in good demand for
table use, and bring higher prices.
In Colonel Sullivan's opinion Maryland |
presents indispensable localities for the
culture Of grape. A large area Of the soil
has for s0b-soil feuuginous clay, which
gives the high favor 70 Maryland peaches
and other fruit, and in The culture Of grape
imparts body and favor The geological
formation Is granite IN its character, the
rocks containing large percentage of
potash, existing in the soil as tartnte Of
potash, and giving 10 wine the tartaric
acid which forms its acidulous constituent.
These characteristics Of the soil make
healthy wines and grapes, and contribute
valuable hygeinic properties to wines OBJ
tanned from them. Tho proportion Of tan
min Is large, giving the wine strength as
tonic. The popularity Of the tarlaric acid,
which is the acid base Of grape wine, is
that il i the only acid that viii precipitate
itseiis and it is from this property that wine
refnes BY age, the Sartaric acid gradually
precipitating in the form Of cream Of tar
tar Wine casks that have been long in
use are coated with so thick deposit that
il becomes of commercial value, and is
scraped out and sold Other acids do not
possess this property; thus the goeseberry
wine and rhubarb vino of domestic manu-
facturc have oxalic acid for their base, and
they always retain their first acridity.
The rule in the planting Of European vine
yards is to select the southern exposure Of
rising ground or bill; but Col. Sullivan
finds that owing to the greater aridity Of
this climate norther exposure is admissi-
bic. For the black grapes in their harder
varieties a sandy soil is best; but it is more
excitable than clay soil, which is there
fore preferable for the red grapes. The
latter are more subject to attacks Of mil
dew, which Col. Sullivan thinks is predis-
posed if not proximately caused BY atmos-
pheric influences. The clay soil being less
excitable and less subject TO vicissitudes Of
temperature is therefore better for delicate
varieties.
Besides raising grapes for market Col.
Sullivan has experimental in wine making
with very satisfactory rcealls, SO that be is
going to extend his operations to much
greater degree. He has already small
wine cellar, thirty-two by twenty iour feet,
and he is about to extend it sixty feet far
Their in its longest direction, making it
ninety BY twenty-four feet, with double
arch in the roof He has made three
kinds Of wines, which he denominates re-
spcetiyely Maryland Claret, Burgundy aud
Sauterne. He has found in practice that
a good.result is obtained BY using two or
more varieties Of grape to wine. The
Claret is made from the Concord and the
Ives varieties. Il is probably lacking in
body to tastes deprayed BY strong spiritu-
GUS liquors, but has a good rcd color, good
bouquet, and has ready sale among the
Germans, to whom it presents itself as a
I superior article to the rim oydinaire oftheir
country, while by the presence Of large
/ proportion Of tapnin it has tonic and APP
petizing qualities The Burgundy is made
from the Nortons Virginia aud the Clinton
varieties, and is rich, -iruity vine, Of
good body, beautiful ruby color, delicate
favor aud 6ne bouquet. The Sauternc is
made from the Fenango, some of Rogers
Hybrid varieties, several varieties ofwhite
grapes, such as Cassidy, Taylor's Built,
&C. II is pale, yellowtinted wine, equal
in body, favor aud bouquet to the fine
brands of foreign Sauterne, but has a pc
euliar bitter-sweet tang to it which with
most tastes would be found to add greatly
to its merit.
Colonel Sullivan is familiar with wine
making in Ohio, where great quantities
are annually made, but the two latter
kinds of wine he thinks far superior to
any made in the West, which fact he at
tributes to the distinctive excellence of
Maryland soil and climate These latter
two kinds Of wine he has not been able to
produce at cost which would enable them
TO undersell the foreign wines, nor has he
produced them for sale in any quantity,
retaining them for his own cellar, as he
prefers them to the corresponding kinds
of foreign wines
At the time of my visit some claret was
making. The grapes had been thrown
into large hogshead, and crushed and
bruised by-being stirred about and pressed
down BY forked instrument, aud the
process Of fermentation was going on.
The nature Of alchoholic fermentation
is, ] believe, generally understood, but
fresh explanation may be interesting in
this connection. The sugar in the juice |
of the grape coming into contact with the
air, the gluten or natural yeast Of the
grape exeites the absorption Of oxygen,
the result Of the union being the formation
Of alcohol aud the evolution of carbonic |
acid gas. In Europe the grape sugar Of
commerce. which is obtained from potato
starch, il frequently added to tie ferment
in order to produce large quantity Of
alcohol, securing greater body to the wine,
but the result is never equal to that pro-
dnced in the alelnbic of nature. Colonel
Sullivan ID his practice never introduces
any substance whatsoever, and the wine is
the pure juice of the grape
Fermentation was actively going on
when | visited the wine press When /
removed the coverings and leaned over
the hcgshead The carbonic acid gas and
the fumes of alcohol rushed up, irritating
the nasal passages and bringing the tears
into my eyes | have heard tell Of she
"uufermented juice Of the grape as being
its proper condition for temperate use, but
| doubt whether any one would try such
an experiment second time. / fancy il
would gil him with such qualms and pain
full retehings that he would ever thereafter
prefer that fermentation should take place
hnfora drtnLsnf, a,J - az, MI.
the presence Of acid denotes the close Of
fermentation the juice is pressed from the
s'must, as the iermcnsed mass is styled,
and is then vine
The presence Of the skins and seeds of
the grape during the process Of fermenta-
tion contributes an astringency to the fla
vor wich mellowed BY age gives the 'sdryr
taste admired in red wines In making
the Sauterne, as with all white wines, the
juice Is expressed from the grape and ex-
posed to fermentation afterwards
IL shouId he rprnllcefad tint none oF Al,