Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-10
yITICULTURAL NOTES.
Results Gained from the
Vintage Of 1885.
STUDIES IN wINE-MAKING.
An Important Paper Prepared by
the State viticultural Off
Ger on this Art.

IAC 0lQtO 49,
Ger on this Art.
The chief executive officer of the
State viticultural Commission has pro-
posed q paper on some OF the most I'M
portant lessons learned during the vint-
AGE season Of 1885, from which the fol-
lowing paragraphs are taken.
STUDIES ON pIsTILLATIoN.
First-The distillation of pomace, af-
tor expressing wine, causes the brandies
resulting therefrom to acquire pecu-
liar. disagreeable taste, which apparent
" comes from essential oils extracted
during fermentation from the skins and
seeds. This trouble is partly obviated
by washing the pomace with water and
distilling the wash.water, without put
ting the pomace into the boiler. Red
wines which are fermented on the skins
and seeds necessarily contain more or
less of the same Objectionable princi-
ples as are found in the pomace, and
when distilled are found to contain the
objectionable favors, more or less, Of
pomace brandy. Where grapes are
crushed and fermented with the inten-
tion of making brandy from the wine,
the juice should be expressed from the
skius before fermentation, and ferment.
ed as white wine. The skins can, with
the addition of water, be also ferment-
ed, but the brandy obtained from them
ahould be considered pomace brandy,
and kept separate from the finer article
produced from the white wine.
Second-Fine brandies, which devel-
op fragrant ethers with age, appear to
BE- produced only from certain varieties
Of green grapes and more especially
from such as contain a large percentage
Of acid and agreeable aromatic proper
ties. 1t is known that the acids of wine
act chemically upon the essential oils
and alcohol and produce ethers which
are called bouquet in the wine, In dis.
tillation more or less of the water, aro.
matte and acid properties of the wine
ara carried over together with the alco-
hol.
Third-To improve the qualities of
brandies made from Mission grapes, the
producer should bear in mind the fore
going principles, which they can apply
q follows: Ferment the wine as white
wine without the skins and seeds and
keep the pomace wine entirely separate,
md to improve the quality add, either
during or after fermentation, but before
distillation, certain proportions of a
Hight acid must or wine, such as those
which can be obtained from the Burger,
tho Folle Blanche, or second crop of
Zinfandel. together with small proper
tions OF fine aromatic juice, such as the
Riesling, the Colombian, or even the
Nuscatel. In the case OF the Muscatel,
however, the proportion used should be
very small in order to prevent too high
3 degree of aromatic taste in the brandy.
Fourth-As great care should be TAX
en- in fermenting wine that is intended
fol distillation as is taken when wine
Intended for other purposes. To insure
eound, healthy fermentation, the wine.
maker would do well to observe the
elIect that may be produced by the use
* tannin and other material heretofore
referred to, especially in the case of fer.
nenting Mission must. The careful
brandy maker will avoid, if possible, all
traces Of acetic acid in the wine which
he intends to dstill, and in case he use
u1ch wines, accidentally spoiled, the
hrandYzSresultiDg therefrom could be
Kept separate from his other brandies.
SWEET WINES.
In fortifying sweet wines, TO check
further fermentation and to prevent fur
.kher action of the ferment, the wine
maker should be careful to get the re-
quired strength in his wine as promptly
= possible; and to accomplish this as
ooon as he can after treating his wine,
he could distill small quantity to
ascertain whether he has the desired re-
1plt. If not, he should then immedi.
'Ately refortify up to the degreee neces-
mry. Negligence in this respect fire..
.Quently causes loss of large quantities
81 what otherwise would have been
uood, sweet wines. When. after forti-
&cAtion in too small degree, a ferment-
ation and disturbance takes place in the
vine, it is often practically impossible
10 make good wine of it in general
cnnes. Some sweet wines remain sound
.1Fith less fortification than Others, but
venerally for port wines strength of
from 20 to 22 per cent. is required.
Nome samples of sweet wines made from
the Trousseau, which seems endowed
with wonderful Preventative properties,
begin to spoil even two years after they
have beer made, for want of sufficient
Ratification.
STUDIES IN sHERRIEs.
The studies in connection with expert
6onts in producing sherries according to
the natural process, which consist in
:onbiecting perfectly fermented dry
vines to the action of the atmosphere,
&ffcr the same manner that is followed
ehen vinegar is ordinarily expected,
~ progressing with much promise of
.w~lnable results. In the experimental
.o1lar of the Commission in this city, and
80 several stations established in the
6untry, wines so treated are in several
osss showing decided sherry properties
his branch of study, however, is yet
!. 10 new for the declaration of absolute
xinciples, and will be reported upon
<fsr. While wine, made from the
Eousseau grape, shows remarkable
5optation to this treatment, resisting
5oetc fermentation in the greatest de.
re in all cases that have been tested
here the grapes originally were suffi-
1enfly ripe and the wine perfectly fer
ented out, the tendency of this
1pe, however, is to produce wine
1ker this method resembling Madeira,
hich is similar in general cheracteris-
- to sherry. Generally it has been
md of advantage as soon as the wine
6nbjected to this treatment to add
oat 2 per cent. of spirit and about one
- Of tannin, well dissolved, to each
odred gallons of wine.
TANNIC WINES.
Tho method of preparing fannie wines,
"a the purposes of the same. were fully
rplained last year. 1t consists in sim
~ taking a portion of the pomace,
~ drawing the wine off, and separat-
= fragments of stems, and packing the
- ia pipe or vat with the addition
olcohol. The alcohol extracts tannin
Il.