Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-06-11
Italian Wine.

If Virgil found it impossible to emu
merate the different kinds of grapes
and their names, how much more so is
it the case to-day? But his praises of
the Falernian wine are well deserved.
White Faernian is excellent and has
an aroma aud bouquet of its own with
nj strong and generous. Tuscany is
dcscrvcdly proud of her 'Chianti,
and WIN Santoh from any respectable
''fattoria' is not 10 he despised. But
the worst Of Italian wines IS that ycu
are seldom sure of getting the same
class OF wines two years running.
The manner Of making wine has been
changed sii.ca the time of Virgil. The
white oxen bring the grapes frolu the
fields in 4 vat paced on an unwicldy,
heavy ox-cart painted scarlet, 10 the
"tinaji'' or place where the ''tini'' or
watts arc. The grapes arc elnptied out
into "bigoncie," tall wooden pals
without handles, which the men carry
on their shoulders. The grapes are
poured into immense open watts, where
they are stamped upon night and morn
ing by the barefootcd peasants to pre-
vent the upper stratum becoming acid
by too long q contact with the air.
When The fermentation has ceased the
clear must &c run of; Il man goes into
tie vat and piichforSs the murk into
"bigoncie' again, which are empticd
into the wine press. As a pictorial sub
ject this press is de irhtful, but il is in
convenient and extremely wastefui.
Two huge posts Of wood support an iip-
mense beam, through VIII ch works a
wooden screw, finishing at the bottom
in a square block of wood with two
square holes straight through it, Un-
der this is what is called the ''gabbia"
(cage). u round, vat-shaped, iron-
clamped receptacle, made of strong
bars of wood. The murk is put into
this. and when i. is full ''toppi. round
slabs of wood. like colossal cHeeses. are
piled on top of the murk. Then a long
pole is stuck into one of the square
holes at the bottom of the screw, and
TO the other end is hooked a rope,
which is secured round q turning pill
| lar Of wood about feet of, with han
die against which three or four men
| throw their whole weight. Slowly,
with many creaks and groans, the huge
| block Of wood descends on the round
| slabs, and the rope curls round the pil-
lar. while from between the bars of the
press rushcs forth Il dark. turbi /, dirty
looking liquid, which one can hardly
| believe will ever turn into ruby wine.
This operation is repeated by unlock
ing the rope, lifting the beam out OF its
hole. and carrying it On n mans shoul-
der TO the hole behind, until the murk
by sheer physical force is pressed into
a compact mass and contains no more
liquid.
i Virgirs excellent advice about thor
oughly seasoning and breaking up the
land before planting the vines is car
ried out 10 the letter in Tuscany, where
the ditcher makes u trench at least siz
feet deep and four feet wide, called
"scasso reale," which is left open to
sun, wind and rain for six months or :
year before it is again filled in. aftcl
having been drained in rough and
ready manner by pitching all available
stones into the bottom OF the trench.
The vinc-cuttings, ''magliuoii," !" or bet.
ter still, two-year old rooted plants,
"barbatellc. are planted two on each
side Of a young maple tree destined
for their support. II q vineyard is te
be made. the quincunx system, recon-
mcnded by Virgil, is always followed
and you will hear the head of gan.
of workmen say, ''they must be like sol
diers, properly in line. "--Lonyman',
Magazine.