Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-09-13
Ems @aselss aterald.
Timely Advice to Wine Makers
and Grape Growers.
rFrom the 8. r. Merchant.

The early ripeHing grape varie-
ties are obliging the growers in
some portions of the State at this
moment to gather and press them.
whilst in every other part casks
and vintage tools are being got
ready for the active work shortly
to be undertaken. At this season
it behooves the grape grower to
consider everything well, review
ing his own experience with that
of his ncighbor, in order to do the
vintage work we'll and make his
liquid of quality which will be
superior to last years wines. Let
cleanliness In press aud cask be the
first confederation. Let no foul nor
unripe berries be added to your
juice of sound grapes. Observe
equality in the degree of maturity
In your grapes. Sulphur your casks
we'll and eschew every pipe that
has the slightest smell of acidity.
Try to regulate the building where
your musts are to be fermented so
that no unevenness of temper.
ature will impede the proper
progress OF the important pro-
cess of vinification. II you
have not gathered sufficient expert.
enCe In what degree of maturity
your grapes produce the best wine,
then see this season if for your
white wines stage just before full
ripeness, the exact degree of ma
turity, or shade after it, that is
just beginning of ovsr-ripeness,
will give you the finest quality of
wine; also, whether you can obtain
both color and body with eQuipois-
ed acids, mildness of taste and fla.
vor from fully ripe commo grapes
and one variety only, or do better
by allowing them for few hours
to rest In the sun and adding pro-
portion of the Juice of nobler graz pes
TO their must, or whether by not
waiting for full ripeness of the
sweetest kinds of grapes you OBJ.
tain less heavy taste. In fact,
try to learn, for now is your school,
Ing season for future profitable sp-
plicatlon of what can be learned.
Try also the aeration of the press
mass for red wines. Allow the
mash of grapes, as an experiment,
for few casks, to rest for half
dozen hours or longer, and often
work It through with a shovel, go
as TO saturate the liquid with oxy-
gen thoroughly before putting the
mass into the fermenting cssk.
You may obtain, as others have, a
red wine Of deeper color and taste
that will compare rather favorably
with nen.aerated musts. Avoid
the mixing of Muscst grapes with
grapes for white wines. A white
wine having the powerful flavor of
Muscat is OF little use except as
Muscat wine. Let MuscaJ must
fsrment by ITSELF.
Let your study be to produce
clean tasting wine Each grape
variety will, if properly treated,
yield wine of its own nature,
which when clean tasting and we'll
fermented, will be useful and im-
prove. Do your best to produce
wines out of which some will be
found worth keeping and develop
into fine wines. This should be
our great aim, for only small
proportion of our wines are above
ordinary quality, and as it is Ger.
tain that we have In many spots
the material for superior qualities,
and we want them, it will be the
merit of the grower and maker 20
obtain fine wine from such grapes.
Do not expect exaggerated profits;
be c0ntented with a decent price,
for promised values Of many hum
dreds of dollars for an acre Of vine.
yard are illusions. Johannisberg,
Chateau Lafitte, and other except.
ional vineyards in Europe, with
palaces and everything in them,
are not estimated above $500 per
acre. A we'll ordered vineyard in
California will always com mand a
fair price, and your care of its pro-
'duce Will gain your property
name and value above the ordi.
nary. F. POHNDoRFF.