The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-03-05

and bring them in safely balanced on
their heads. Then all the punches
must be ''escalhido," that is, picked
over. the good and indifferent separated,
the best reserved for the costliest wine
Then they are thrown into the wine
press, wide, clumsy trough, into
which men jump bare footed, Qet us
hope not unwashed,) trousers rolled
up, and trampe out the juice 1t
must have been done the same way in
Bible times, else why the passage, Gle
has trodden the wine press alone" The
advantage of expressing the juice with
the feet is said to be that flesh gives way
to the stems and seeds. so that their Bit
terness is not mixed with the pure juice.
After the first expression has been drawn
oil, the remaining portion is put into a
sack, hung up and reduced by lever pres
sure. The juice is conveyed to the store
houses in goat-skins, which are thought
to give it an additional flavor, and there
empted into casks. The process of fer
mentation usually occupies about five
weeks. After the juice has been taken
out of the wine press, water is thrown in
upon the refuse, and this undergoes the
same process as the juice, making what is
called agoa-pe-literally ''foot- water "a
cheap wine which is retailed at the men
, tas to the poorer classes. Soon as their
days work is done the peasants have a
a grand frolic all through vintage time
The weather is so delightful that their
dances are held in the open air, and every
where you hear the stunning of
machetes, the queer little native guitars
that are used to accompany the voice and
dance. Everybody dances and everybody
sings; and if not with perfect grace and
harmony at least with abandon and en-
| joyment.
| The wine having ceased fermenting, is
drawn off the lees and put into sweet
casks, where it is clarified with eggs, or
with ox-blood, or usually with gypsum; a
soupcon of brandy, (also made of grape),
being added to each pipe to prevent the
acetous fermentation. The grapes that
| furnish the very best wines are not those
most agreeable to the taste. The finest
Madeira wines are Sercial, Malmsey, Bual,
Bergundy Madeira and Unto, but several
other kinds are made. Probably the best
is Sercial Says one-who ought to know,
if experience is the best teacher-''It is
called a dry wine; and OF verify, if
taken in full glasses, the imbiber viii be
dry enough the morning after. 1t is po-
tent, and to be treated accordingly, But
the ribs of death, if anything could. 1t
sends an odor through room sweeter
than pastils. A glass of it after soup con
firms the grace before, and predisposes the
soul to the fullness OF a gratitude-the
sense of favors to come Malmsey, too,
is one of the rarest and most costly wines,
aud is produced nowhere but in Madeira
and now "a days not much of it here Fogs
and dews injure the fruit and years may
pass without a vintage. The old monks
cultivated this vine with greatest care,
its juice. 1t brings five dollars bottle ON
the estates where it is made, and is most
ly bought up before vintage time for the
royal houses in Europe. Since the capt
tai of the grape -raisers is their vineyards
and stored Wines they devote much time,
labor and expense to the management of
both. Great care is bestowed upon the
selection of the cuttings, great nicely in
planting and in pruning The soil is al
ways kept clean, properly irrigated, and
cleared of insects and weeds; and if by
such treatment so pipes year of the better
class of wine is produced, the proprietor s
fortune is made. Instead of keeping theil
wines in cobwebby cellars, the Madeira
merchant stores his above ground: but
the sun is carefully excluded from his
''bodaga'' or warehouse, and it is KEEP,
cool and sweet. Some of them contain q
tages and denominations, ranging in price
from 50. so the gallon to the largest sun
that the most extravagant wine bibbel
, would care to pay. Though all the com
moner wines of the island are designated
abroad by the general name of ''Made
, ira there is as much difference between
, them as between port and sherry. Some
are dry, and some full bodied, some will
, fruity taste; some light, others heavy
some would have just suited our sturd,
grandfathers, and others are better adapt
ed to the weaker modern capacity The,
, vary in color, too, from deepest red t(
, palest amber, and in odor as one flower
differs from another. | have not yet seer
single intoxicated person in Madeira
/ and it is said that there is absolutely ne
drunkenness among the natives. Tht
, same rule seems to hold good in all wine
} producing countries. Neither in Portu
t gal, Spain or France, nor on the Rhine
does one see millionth part of the inc
, briefly that disgraces the United States o