Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-02-13
0P0RT0'S RUBY WINE.
CURIOUS AND INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT IT'S MANUFACTURE.

ABOUT ITS MANUFACTURE.
among the Vineyards of a land xvb..
Toll Is Made Picturesque and ,rus,c,,
IresdiDg Out the Blood of The f.
Testing the juice.
Inc Alto Douro district in Portural
whence the wine comes. connrisas y
series OF steep activities and narrow
IayiIles extending some thirty miles along
.he river Douro Golden river and varv.
ing III breadth from five to ten miles II
- situated Doth in the provinces of Traz-
70. -nohtes ana Belra, the first named CON
tanning by far the larger portion. The
area OF the vineyards is estimated at
hooue oo,oUu acres. In order to prevent
tiie loose ana f1aky soil in which the vines
dre painted upon the steep des of the
iiiis from peing washed away by heavy
rains, the ground Is cut away in terraces.
forming q succession of steps, their sides
banked up with walls Of masonry. These
rows OF terraces line the sides of mountain
after mountain, like cyclopean staircases.
anu on some slopes as many as $50 NAV
De counted, rising one above another.
Inc population of the wine district is
| small, and as a considerable amount of
labor is needed for the cultivation of the
vine there is ample employment for yint-
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. The 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, NAV be seen
and heard-for their singing, more or less
melodious, is an invariable accompani-
ment of the work--all over the hill sides
culllng the punches of fruit with small
hooked knives. AS the berries are TINS
detached and the unripe and unsound
1ruit removed, they are thrown into
baskets borne on the arm of the yintaoer
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 off 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 princinol ouintas ao,ont, ~ +1,o
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 lagares, and that the conditions under
which the pressing and fermentation take
and down the driad nm sfoaT1, [,,71Ii, ~
over rouob bowIdars idItaJ ,,ioia71+-
| discordantlv crealinq dro1,as ~ III,
little donkeys with mic, slirs f,,ll ~ 80
danoling ON either side ron, a st,.,,1
! their backs or bringing hraad for 80
yintaoers wend fhair w. oIoTc, 80. ,r'o
bride paths. and farmers with vino 90 r97
nles and neddIers With tbeir 1879 IN
mules enuinned with iano4inc- t haiIs i w,
leisurelv over tbe roo7,ntai, &c roo ~
Twenty or more varieties NJ ryTo,,os ora
nsed t6 mako mort yina Tor ~ 49,
part thew are black thick stfnned md
nnlnv Welding an an,nIa floyv Of saccI,a-
rine must. Arrived ut the nrees bonsa
thew are at once shot into tba iooores--irn.
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 hoe, and gang of men is told off
to tread them.
The wearisome operation of treading is
begun by men, who step into the Iagares
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, "
as though at squad drill. AS the juice
flows, and the fruit is reduced to a pulp,
a liyelier 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.
TIE FIRST THREADING.
The tssovar O vinbo. - or first treadinr
is kent nm with occasional hal+s and re.
laws of fresh men for about eighteen
hours, After long interval the treadino
Is resumed The fiddle strikes nm anew,
fine drum rottles. the fife soueaks. the
ruitar twanrs the overspers drowsilv m