The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-09-06
A GREAT BUSINESS.
Grape" and Vino ON the Mountain slopes.
From Tie GrcenriNe Netrs.

| flourishing and atiordng abundant weld
despite weeks of burning heat snd dust.
! If m agriculturist wishes to be encour.
aged and stimulated 10 renewed effort,
he has only to visit any one of the lux.
uriant vineyards which grow near this
| city weighted with luscious fruit.
In company with Herman Gilreath, a
| representative of the Ncws spent an hour
Yesterday on Paris Mountain at "AIonto
Eino." the splendid vineyard belonging
to the late DR.. Marshall's estate. Stroude
Marshall, son of the deceased, has not
allowed the vineyard to languish, and ia
giving il his constant attention.
y great industry has been fairly be-.
gun by Mr.. Marshall this season. The
wine house built by his father has been
perfected i'll every respect, and the bust
ncss of wine making on an extensive
scale il now ia progress
on :!ia frat floor is email machine
which is used for mashing the grapes.
Scores Of hands gathered the fruit in
baskets. The fruit, clinging to the stem,
just as it comes from the vine, is poured
into the hopper Of the machine. which
breaks the skins and pulp. Afler the
grapes pass through the machine they are
| placed in the press which rapidly brings
the juice out. The juice and pulps are
then placed in large fermentiug tubs
which stand in rows against the wall.
This first fermentation lasts about three
days and clears the juice of the pulp and
foreign substances, Which rise to the top.
| The juice is then poured into a tank
| which feeds pipe running into barrels
and pipes below. The word pipes" as
last applied does not refer to the slender
iron conduit, but to large barrel shaped
receptacles holding 900 gallons apiece.
| The cellar is cut out Of solid rock, and IL
perfectly cool and very we'll ventilated.
acre are now four pipes" filled with
juice, making 1000 gallons. Besides
this there are a number of barrels and
casks, containing the delightful liquid
The pulps and hulls OF the W.. ;sties
of grapes impart different colors 10 the
wine. MIR. Marshal is now making port,
claret, sherry and n white wine. The
wine requires good deal Of tannic acid,
| and this Is obtained from the stems in
fermentation. Some varieties of grapes
are deficient in snccharine matter, and
occasionally Il small amount of sugar has
| to he added. The amount of sugar con.
tanned in the juice is at once determined
| by "sncchometer," small glass instru.
mcnt which registers the quantity of
sweetness in any liqid to a nicely. Most
of the grapes used by Mr.. Marshall
contain enough sugar, and he does not
| require that article frequently. The wine
made without tie addition of sugar is
| regarded rs very much finer, being
| "dry."
The wine drawn off yesterday from
one of the fermenting tubs was of q
| bright red, and although exceedingly
new, was most palatabie and pretty.
The juice goes through three fermcn.
tations. First in the tubs ns it comes
from the press, then through two more
in the cellar. The wine is then allowed
to stand one year. At the expiration of
that time il is put upon the market and
tlnds ready sale, wine dealers buying it
eagerly at Sl.25 per gallon. Our wine
made here in the mountains then disap.
pears forever, for it assumes the Euro.
Pean imported label in most instances
and is sold at imported" prices. The
dealers nre scarcely 10 blame for this as
our people will take long time to be
converted to the belief that good wine
can really be made outsi6. of Europe.
Dir. Marshall has employed Mr..
Jaifreaux, Frenchman, to superintend
his wine making. MIR. Jaffreaux was
employed for many years in France in
Vineyards and in winemakiug, and is
therefore thoroughly experienced and
competent. He declares that the Amer.
lean grape Is much superior TO the
French, and says our climate is better
adapted 10 the cultivation of the grape
and the manufacture of wine than France.
lie says our wine il really purer than the
French wine az that is almost invariably
heavily diluted with water. In France
it requires about ten days to ferment thu
juice the first time. Here our climate
ferments it in three days. Ii this is the
case there seems to be no reason why we
should not make our own wine instead
of paving high prices for the foreign
articles. Light wine can be made a
cheap and popular beverage in this sec.
ton, and this was the idea which actua.
ted Dr.. Marshall in establishing his
vineyard and building his wine house.
There are forty acres in grapes ON this
slope on Paris Mountain, aud every vine
bore this year abundantly. Two:thirds
OF the grapes were shipped North and
sold at from II to Is cents per pound.
The crop here is about six weeks ahead
Of the Northern crop and this gives the
southern grape grower great advantage
In marketing his fruit. Il will BE- sesn
that Mr. Marshall has only consumed
onc.t third of his abundant crop for vine.
The balance has for the most part been
marketed. He il still holding grapes.
which are not fully ripe, to ship later in
the season.
When vineyard becomes healthy and
we'll started it is certainly the safest and
most profitable of crops. A drought
does not injure grapes but rather benefits
them, as there issslittle danger of bursting
or rotting, which is caused by PROLONGED
wet spells. The desire for vineyards is
rapidly increasing and land on Paris
Mountain since the grapes have begun
to grow there has increased from SI.60
an acre to $75. These mountain lands
are peculiarly adapted TO- grape culture.
The drainage is better and the vines on
the Southern slopes not only get plenty
OF sunshine but are protected from the
cold Northern frosts in winter.
Mr.. Marshall will utilize the pulp and
hulls OF the grapes for making French
brandy, as they are excellent for this
purpose. After they have been employed
in this way good vinegar can be made
with them. Mr. Marshall will establish
a distillery next year for making the
brandy. He will also plant twelve ad.
ditional acres in grapes. His wine house
Is we'll arranged in every respect and
there Is little system of water works
which keeps him supplied. Pipes run
from a spring higher up the mountain,
and no trouble Is experienced.
There is growing disposition among