Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-04-21
0PORTOS RUBY WINE.
CURIOUS ANu INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT ITS MANUFACTURE.

CURIOUS ANu INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT ITS MANUFACTURE.
Ansps the vinsysrds of . Land where
Toll Il Iaa6s Picturesque and Musical.
rrsaAins Ont ths Blood or the oraps.
Testing the Juice.
The Alto Douro district In Portugal,
whence the wine comes, comprises Q
series of steep accltvities and narrow
ravines extending some thirty miles along
the River Douro (Golden river, and vary
ing In breadth from I'VE 70 ten miles It
is situated both In the provinces Of Tras-
oe-Moutes and Beira, the FIRST named con-
tanning BY far the larger portion. The
area Of the vineyards Is estimated ut
about o., 900 acres In order to prevent
the loose and flaky soil In which the vines
are planted upon the steep sides Of the
hills from being washed away By heavy
rains, the ground II cut swAy IN terraces,
forming q succession Of steps, their aides
banked up with walls Of masonry. These
rows Of terraces line the sides OF mountain
after mountain, like cyclopean staircAses,
and on some slopes - many as 150 may
be counted, rising one above another.
The population Of the wine district is
small, and ~ considerable amount OF
labor 10 needed for the cultivation OF <he
vine there II ample employment for vint-
ayers, male and female, who flock thither
at the proper season from remote regions,
many coming from the province Of Galicia
in the north Of Spain. Tho vintage IN
September Of course attracts the largest
influx. Dancing and singing on their way
TO the vineyards come bands OF peasants
to the gathering. Women with red and
yellow kerchiefs tied over unkempt
tresses, and with bare legs, may be seen
aud heard--for their singing, more or less
melodious. II an invariable accompani-
ment Of tho work--all over the hill sides
culling the punches Of fruit with small
hooked knives. AZ the berries are thus
detached and the unripe and unsound
fruit removed, they are thrown Into
baskets borne on the arm Of the vintager.
These are emptied into large baskets.
holding nearly hundred weight, which,
when filed, men, with sheepskins to pro-
tect their shoulders and plated straw
knots on their heads hoist on their backs,
and, moving on in Indian file, bear them
along the rugged winding paths and up
and down the steep flights Of steps to the
press house.
TOURS OF INSPECTION.
At the principal quintas agents Of the
port wine shippers take up their quarters.
Thence they sally forth on daily tours Of
inspection, for the purpose of ascertain.
ing that the wines their houses have con.
tracted for are fairly and honestly made,
that no unripe or unsound fruit gets into
the lsgares, and that the conditions under
which the pressing and fermentation take
place are favorable. Bullock carts 60 up
and down the dried up stream gullies,
over rough bowlders, jolted violently and
discordantly creaking; droves Of nimble
little donkeys, with pig skins full Of wine
dangling on either side from a strap across
their backs, or bringing bread for the
vintagers, wend their way along xigzag
bride paths, and farmers with wine sam
pies and peddlers with their packs on
mules equipped with jangling bells, Jog
leisurely over the mountain roads.
Twenty or more varieties Of grapes are
used to make port wine. For the most
part they are black, thick skinned and
pulpy, yielding IN ample flow OF saccha.
rine must. Arrived at the press house
they are ut once shot into the lagares--im-
mense receptacles constructed Of solid ma
sonry, with sides about three feet high,
and holding enough grapes to produce
from ten to thirty pipes Of wine. When
the lagare is dlled the grapes are leveled
with hoe, and q gang OF men IL told Of
to tread them.
The wearisome operation Of treadipg Is
begun by men, who step into the lagares
with their white pants rolled up to the
thigh, and their arms resting on each
others shoulders. With measured steps
they advance and retire across the lagare,
raising and lowering their feet alternately
at the word of command, Fright" left, y
as though at squad drill. A. the Juice
flows, and the fruit Is reduced to pulp,
O livelier movement follows. A fiddler
seated on the edge of the lagare saws
away at some merry tune, while some Of
the treaders join in with fife, drum and
guitar, playing and treading simultane.
| ously. Songs and shouts swell the up
roar. 1t is a difficult task, despite these
ebullitions OF enthusiasm, and frequent
nips Of brandy are served out by the over
seers to keep the lazier and weaker at the
task, which Is wearisome in the extreme.
Women looking in at the windows ex-
change jokes and laughter with the men.
TUE FIRST TREADISa.
The "sovar O vinho," or first treadiug,
is kept up with occasional halts and re.
/ AhyS Va AiCSA iiCh IVA abOdu GlkotCCl
hours. After long interval the treadina
| is resumed. The fiddle strikes up anew
the drum rattles, the flfs squeaks, the
! guitar twangs, the overseers drowsily up
braid. By this time the grapes are pretty
| well trodden, and the men, being nearly
worn out, listlessly lift one purple dyed
| leg after another far into the watches ol
| the night. In testing the quality Of the
| mash q large white convex saucer Is used
| One of the treaders balancing himself OF
one brawny leg and holding up the othel
allows the liquid to drip from of his hee
into the saucer. This is TASTED and tn,
amount of sugar determined by the saccha
rometer. This instrument also indicates
after the treading is completed and tn,
juice is left to ferment, when the lattel
process has gone far enough. Tht
stalks and skins of the grape.
form thick crust on the top O
the must, which is then drawn of
into large tonels holding from ten L
thirty pipes each; the superintendent
mass of stalks and skins is heaped up IL
the center Of the lagare, and the juice re
naming in them is squeeRd out by tn,
leverage Of huge beam Of wood, usually
the trunk of a tree weighted with larg'
stone. The wine thus obtained is sepa
rately casked and kept by itself, as it
quality is not up to the average mark.
Until the end of December the wine re
mains undisturbed. BY that time it ha
cleared and has deep purple tint. 1t 4
then drawn or its lees into other tonels
when some pure grape brandy is added Il
1t. Empty pipes are sent up from Oport,
in the ensuing spring to the quintas
where the wine is duly racked under tn
| Of thu al Thasa mir