Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-07-13
THE GAZETTE.
TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 10.
Making Wine from Native Grapes.

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The following receipt for making domestic
wine from Cattawba or Isabella grapes, used by
&. A. Nicolls, Reading, Pa, in 1859 to 1869
Is commended to us by gentleman who has
tried it successfully. Its directions have the
merit, rare 10 receipts, of being full and
precise:
|. | select perfectly ripe punches, and then
carefully pick of the stems and remove all
grapes which are not quite ripe.
2 Squeeze the juice out, either by hand or
press, stralD through hair seive, and pour it at
once juto clean, sweet barrel or keg, adding to
the vessel two gallons of water for every gallon
ofjuice made
3. At the same time put in four pounds Of
sfted sugar per gallon ofjuice.
4. 10 adding the two gallons of water stated
IN section 2 let 1t strain through the pulp, skins
&c., ofthe rcSiduum of the grapes after being
squeezed,
5. Fill the vessel full up to the bung hole,
which cover With sand Bag to allow the fer
mentatlon to escape.
6. Watch the barrel daily, and clear or scrape
away the scum, which will be thrown out in
large quantities.
7. As the wine falls below the burg, I'll up
daily latter clearing away the scum with su-
gar-water, made with two pounds of sugar to
the gallon Of water,
The fermentation will continue from three
to six weeks, according to the weather. When
it has ceased | poured into the buog-hole about
ooe gill OF brandy to the gallon of juice, to flow
over the surface aud prevent its sourog; but the
brandy may not be Indispensable Then buug
the vessel up tight.
9. During the cold weather, in say the fol-
lowing February, when the wine is perfectly
still and clear, draw it off pto any other clean
vessels, then quickly clean, scald and rinse
thoroughly the barrel 10 8hich the wine was
made, and return the wine to it, buug it ur,
and draw it off as required for use
III. Ii you wish to make very palatablo
champagne, have the champagne bottles ready
when you rack off the wine as stated in section
y; put tablespoonful of common syrup n
each quart battle; then fill with the wine, leav
ing about Il inches clear below the bottom of
the cork, which fasten very securely with strog
twine, as the pressure of the fixed air to escape
is very great:
II. The wine will improve by age, after the
operation described 10 section g.
y. An old brandy or whiskey barrel is the
best (see sectiop2. Never use a new barrel,
as the wine will taste of the wood.
Is. About fifteen pounds of grapes will give
one gallon of juice. The ripper the grapes the
better the yield of the juice. One gallon of
grapes in punches weigh about four and ahalf
pounds.
IA. Keep the wine in the cellar, where it
will not be exposed to extremes of temperature
Is. An approximate estimate of the quaint.
ties required for thirty gallon barrel will be as
follows
To make thirty gallons of wines.--l5O pounds
OF grapes, yielding 10 gollons juice; 20 gallons
water, strained through the pulp residuum,
(see section d. DO pounds of sfted sugar; q
pints Of common brandy, (see section g.
If carefully made, the wine will be whole
some palatable, with flavor like grape juice
Madeira. 1t was preferred to all others at the
Washington hospitals during the war of 1861
'65, and was reported to have been the means
of saving the lives of some Of the soldiers