The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-08-12
MAKING NATIVE WINE.
Full and Precise Directions for Com
pounding the Nectar.

Mr.. II. G. Bohny bought II wagon
load of mustang grapes yesterday,
whereof he proposes to make wine--a
wine of such eXhilerating properties
that he who imbibes u half bottle can
clear a ten-rail fence. These grapes
grow in great abundance in this Sec
ton of Texas, and for the benefit of
those readers Of THE HERALD who
wish to utilize them, the following
recipe for making the wine Is given,
copied from the Hot Springs ark. J
Telegraph:
Select perfectly ripe bunches, and
then carefully pick or the stems and
remove all grapes which are not quite
| ripe.
Squeeze the juice out, either by hand
or press, strain through hair sieN e,
and pour 1t at once into clean, sweet
barrel or key, adding to the vessel two
gallons of water for every gallon of
juice made.
AZ the same time put in four pounds
of sifted sugar per gallon OF Juice.
In adding the two gallons of water
stated in section 2, let 1t strain through
the pulp, skins, etc, of the residuun
Of the grapes after being squeezed.
Fill the vessel full, up to the bung-
hole, hich cover with II sand bag, to
allow the fermentation to escape.
Watch the barrel daily, and clear or
scrape away the scum, which will be
thrown ont in large quantities.
AS the wine falls below the bung, fill
up daily latter clearing away the
scum with sugar water, made with
two pounds of sugar to the gallon of
water.
The fermentation will continue from
three 10 six weeks, according to the
weather. When 1t had ceased,
poured into the bnng-hole about one
gill of brandy to the gallon of Juice,
to flow over the surface and prevent its
sourlng, but the brandy may not be in
dispensable. Then bung the vessel up
tight.
During the cold weather, in say the
following February, when the wine Is
perfectly still and clear, draw it of
into any other clean vessel, then quick
ly clean, scald and rinse thoroughly
the barrel in which the wine was
made, and return the wine to it, bunp
1t up, and draw ii of as required for
use.
If you wish to make q very palata-
bic champagne, have the champagne
bottles ready when you rack of the
wine; put tablespoonful of common
sirup in each quart bottle, then fiji
with the wine, leaving about II inches
clear below the bottom of the cork,
which fasten very securely with strong
Irvine, rs the pressure of the fixed air
to escape Is very great.
An old brandy or whisky barrel Is
the best; Never use new barrel, as
the wine will taste of the wood.
About fifteen pounds of grapes will
give one gallon Of juice. The riper the
grapes the better the yield of the Juice,
One gallon of grapes ia lunches weighs
about four and half pounds.
Keep the wine in the cellar, where
1t will not be exposed to extremes of
temperature.
An approximate estimate of the
quantities required for 30-gallon bar
rel will be rs follows.
To make thirty gallons of wine-l50
pounds OF grapes, yielding 10 gallons
of juice; 20 gallons of water, strained
through the pulp residuum, 40 pounds
of sitted sugar, q pints of common
brandy.
lfcarefully made, the wine will be
wholesome and palatable, with flavor
IKE grape juice Madeira. 1t was pre-
ferred to all others at the Washington
hospitals during the war of ls6I.65,
ana was reported to have been the
means OF saving the lives of some of
the sailors.