Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-04-28
ITALIAN WINE.
The Manner of Making 1t Not Changed si,co
the Time of Virgil.

If Virgil found it impossible to
enumerate the different kinds of cranes
and their names, how much more so is
it the case to-dayP But his praises of
the Falernian wine are well deserved
White Falernian is excellent. and has
an aroma and bouquet of its own
wlthal strong and generous. Tuscany
is deservedly proud of her "Chiapti. =,
and "Vin Santo" from anv respectable
''fattoria' is not to be despised. But
the worst of Italian wines is that vo,
are seldom sure of getting the same
class OF wine two years running.
Inc manner of making wine has
not changed since the time of Virgil
The white oxen bring the grapes from
the helds in vat placed on an un-
wleldly, heavy ox-cart painted scarlet
to the 'tinaja" or place where the
"tini" or watts are. The grapes are
emptied out into 'bigoncie," tall
wooden pals without handles, which
the men carry on their shoulders. The
grapes are poured into the immense
open watts, where they are stamped
upon night and morning by the bare.
legged peasants to prevent the upper
stratum of grapes becoming acid by
too long contact with the air. When
the fermentation has ceased the clear
must is run off; man gets into the
vat, and pitchforks the murk into
"bigoncie' again, which are emptied
into the wine-press. AS pictorial
subject this press is delightful, but it
is inconvenient and extremely waste
ful. Two huge posts Of wood support
an immense beam, through which
works wooden screw, finishing at the
bottom in square block of wood with
two square holes straight through it,
Under this stands what is called the
''gabbia' (cage), a round, vat-shaped.
iron-clamped receptacle, made of strong
bars of wood. The murk is put into
this, and when it is full ''toppi," round
slabs of wood, like colossal cheeses, are
piled on the top of the murk Then
long pole is stuck into one of the square
holes at the bottom of the screw, and
to the other end is hooked rope, which
Is secured round turning pillar of
wood about eight feet off, with a 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 pill
lar, while from between the bars of the
press gusheS out Il dark, turbid dirty
looking )iqHid, which one can hardly
believe will ever turn into ruby wine.
This operation is repeated by unhook-
ing the rope, lifting the beam out of
its hole, and carrying it on mans
shoulder to the hole behind, until the
murk by sheer physical force is pressed
into a compact mass and contains no
more liquid.
Virgil's excellent advice about thor
Oughly seasoning and breaking up the
land before planting vines is carried
out to the letter IN Tuscany, where the
ditcher makes a trench at least six feet
deep and four feet wide, called ''scassO
reale, )" which is left open to sun, wind,
and rain for six months or year be-
fore it is again filled in, after having
been drained in a rough and ready man
ner by pitching all available stones
into the bottom of the trench. The
vine-cuttings, "magliuoli,' or, better
still, two-year-old rooted plants, bar
batelle," are planted two on each side
of young maple tree destined for
their support. If vineyard is to be
made, the quincunX system, recon-
mended by Virgil, is always followed,
and you will still hear the head of a
gang of workmen saying, "they must
be like soldiers, properly in line. y
To,on,0n'e M000zj)lo