Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-04-24
7v'la Trsss and 9akotaias
OPoRTo's RUBY WINE.

OPORTO'S RUBY WINE.
CURIOUS AND INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT ITS MANUFACTURE.
Among the Vineyards of n land Where
Toll Is Made Picturesque and Musical.
Treading Out the Blood of the Grape.
Testing the Juice.
The Alto Douro district In Portugal,
whence the wine comes, comprises q
series of steep activities and narrow
ravines extending some thirty miles along
the River Douro Golden river and vary
ing In breadth from five to ten miles. II
Is situated both III the provinces of Traz7
os-Montes and Beira, the first named con
tanning by far the larger portion, The
area of the vineyards is estimated at
about Sc, 600 acres. In order; to prevent
the loose and fiaky soil in which the vines
are planted upon the steep sides OF, the
hills from being washed sway by heavy
rains, the ground is cut away in terraces
forming a succession'of steps, their sides
&IihCo up W1un Wb15 VA AudSOuIy AuS66
rows Of terraces line the sidesoflmountain
after mountain, like cyclopean staircases,
and on some slopes as many as 100 may
be counted, rising one above another.
The population of the wine district is
small, and as q considerable amount OF
labor is needed for the cultivation Of the
vine there is ample employment for WHIT
ayers, male and female, who flock thither
Mt the proper season from remote regions,
many coming from the province of Galicia
in the north ofsEpain. The vintage In
September of course attracts the largest
influx. Dancing and singing on their way
to the vineyards conn bands of peasants
to the gathering. Women with red and
yellow kerchiefs tied over. unkempt
tresses, and with bare Legs, may be seen
and heard-for their singing, more or less
m%elodious, Is an ~invariable accompani-
ment of the work-al over the hill sides
cI1ling the punches Of fruit with small
hooked knives. As the berries art thus
detached and the unripe and sunsound
fruit removed, they are thrown into
baskets borne on the arm Of the vintager.
These are 7emptied into large baskets,
holding nearly q hundred weight, which,
when filled, men, with sheepskins to pro-
tect their shoulders and plated straw
AuCto w tuclI ucStley tlot6u O1 b1SI UdckHs
and, moving of In Indian file, bear them
along the rugged winding paths and up
and down the steep fights Of steps to the
|press house. sMk @H
- t9 = ToURs' or 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
Il {pry that tha vr,;pac tl,aJv Ln,,oao hux,n ,1,,
tracted for are fairly and honestly made,
that no unripe or unsound fruit gets into
She lagares, and that the conditions under
which the pressing and fermentation take
place are fayorahle. Bullock carts go up
and down the dried up stream gullies,
over rough powders, 1olted violently and
di~scordantly 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
Iytntagers, twend their way along ;1igzag
bride paths, and farmers with; wine SAM
pies and peddlers with their packs on
mules equipped with jang1ing bells, Jog
leisurely over tho mountain, roads.
! Twenty or more varieties of grapes are
used to make port wine. For the most
part they are black, thick skinned and
pulp, yielding an. ample flow OF saccha-
1 rine must. Arrived at the press house
they are at 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 filled the grapes are leveled
with a hoe, and a gang OK men is told of
to tread-them,
Tho Wearisorie operation Of treading Is
i hAO11p nv rpar xyhn Ufop ir,4o 4dr. 1orpar q
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, s'right,si left,
as though at squad drill. As the Juice
flows, and the fruit Is reduced to a pulp,
q livelier movement follows. A fiddler
seated on the edge of the lagare saws
away ut 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 tits d diflcu1t task, despite these
ebullitIons Of enthusiasrn,a and frequent
ntps Of brandy are served out by the over
Eeers 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.
\ 81 TIE FIRST THREADING. =
The sssovar o vinho," or first treating,
Is kept up with occasional halts and re-
lays OF, fresh men for about eighteen
hours. After a long interval the treading
IS resumed. The fiddle strikes up anew,
the drum ~rattles; the fife squeaks, the
guitar twnngs, the oyerseers drowsily up
JSsbraid. .iByythis time the grapes are pretty
Ewe1i.roddsn, and the men, being nearly
worn out, lstlessly lift one purple dyed
log after another far into the watches OF
the night. In testing the quality Of the
mash q large white convex saucer is used.
Ore Of the treaders balancing himself on
one braTny leg and holding up the other
allows the liquid to drip from Off his heel
INTO the saucer. This 10 tasted and the
amount OF sugar determined by the saceha-
rometer, Thisinstrament also indicates,
after the treaaing Is completed and the
Il juiceis left to- ferTneit, when the latter
process has gone fax enough. Fhe
stalks and skins Of the grapes
form a thick crust on the top OF
thsve must, which Is then drawn of
into large tonels holding from ten to
/ thirty pipes each; the superintendent
MASS Of stalks and skins Is heaped up In
the center, Of the lagaye. and the Juice re-
manning in them Is squeezed out by the
4 zeyeragesoE ashuke beam Of wood, usually
she trunksof 3 tree weighted with a large
stone. The wins, thus obtained is sepa-
rately casked and kept by itself, as its
quality Is ndtNp to the average mark.