The evening times., 1900-01-09

esting report that las been sent to the
State Department by Unite States Consul
Harold S. Van Buren. Mr. Van Buren
SAYS:
The frequent enquiries from the United
States touching the manufacture Of wine
and piquette. prompted 10 doubt by a de-
| sire to utilize the methods adopted in old
wine-producing countries, in districts OF
our own where grapes are lagely pro
duced. have induced me- during the harvest
Of this year 10 examine the systems used
fof producing wholesome and technically
speaking, pure wine.
My intention at frs was to confne this
report to the item Of p,tuette' ia prod
uct comparatively unAuowT in the United
States. but which is attracting much atten-
tion here). because the residue Of grapes
is utilized here TO an extent undreamed Of
in our country; but 1 believe it would be
Of interest to explain the primitive, but at
the same time thorough and remuneratiye,
method by which the wine itself is made.
From investigations during the late
harvest. l am led to conclude that the sys-
TEN OF wine-msking common in Piedmont
is superior to that generally employed here.
I shall therefore restrict my description
10 this method. indicating later the rea-
sons for it's superiority.
The grapes are placed In large watts and
| thoroughly bruised until the resulting
liquid covers the mass. The object is to
produce an elementary fermentation. which
materially Increases the production OF
Juice The vat has a discharge a few inches
from the bottom. and al height OF from
six to eight inches above is a small orihce
with wooden plug The grapes are
squeezed by pounding with flat iron or
stone weights. attached to convenient han
| dies. and all the juice Is drawn oG from
the lower discharge and placed temporarily
in casks. When the mass is well pressed
| by this method, all the juice Is poured back
/ into the vat upon the residue. The mixture
/ is stirred to render IL OF equal consistency.
/ the cover Of the vat is put on. a wOOlen or
/ other warm covering is spread above it,
/ and il Is left TO ferment.
The time OF fermentation varies from
! year 20 year, and depends upon the degree
/ Of maturity Of the grapes. the weather dur
/ ing which they have been harvested wet
/ or dry), and. OF course. the quality Of the
/ grapes
! After the fifth or sixth day OF fermenta-
/ ton. the plug above mentioned is drawn
out and a glass filed with the liquid II il
( shows a degree OF muddiness or contains
] particles Of residue. the wine is not drawn.
/ When the liquid is fairly clear the wine
[ may be considered sufficiently made 10
| be Grawn into casks. These are placed in
| the cellar filed to the bung. but with the
I bung left open. The second fermentation
| usually lasts month or more.
! During the first fermentation. the mix
/ ture in the vat should rot be disturbed at
/ all. and here ! an compelled 10 speak Of
| the difference in the two systems above
mentioned and in their results. The local
| (Nice) custom has been 70 place a sliding
cover in the vat. braced against the ceiling
with the object OF keeping the residue con-
| tiuually under water as IL were. and
each day 20 stir UP the entire mass. l have
been enabled to verify that by this method
the wine does not show when fermentation
is complete; hence. the results are uneven
and often disastrous.
Again. the f2ct Of the bubb,ing liquid
being exposed 20 the air In the top OF tie
vat causes a certain aciiity and loss OF al
cohol strength. By the Piedmoutese meth
od the fermentation pushes the residue
upward until by degrees every particle Of
solid substance comes to the top. leaving
the clear wine below. prepared TO show
when the degree OF fermentation is such
that any delay in drawing viii result in
| the wine becoming acid. and losing the
mellowress which the grapes should nat
| urally impart 10 IL
| "I visited a district near Nice where a
I very bad harvest had been gathered. and
| all the proprietOrs, save one. hTd made
| their wine by the usual local method This
| one had adopted the PiedmonteSe method
and his wine alone failed TO turn 10 vine
gar. In explanation Of their manner Of
proceeding, / vas told that IL we allow
! the residue 10 come to the top. IL turrs
acid and We lose it The residue Is passed
through a press and the juice procured is
either thrown with the first wine OF else
used as second wine In the former
case. ii certainly greatly detcriOrates the
product. and in the second instance 1t is
a most unpalatable drink. This brings me
TO the utilization Of the residue for the
manufacture Of 'piquette.
Before drawing the wine. and upon re-
moving the covering OF the vat, il will be
observed That the entire residue has risen
TO the surface, and that the upper portion
Thereof quite dry, has formed a crust. This
is carefully removed to the depth Of two or
three inches all round. for the reason that,
having been In contact with the air. il has
become acid. and II would communicate this
acidity to the piquette about to be made.
This done. and the wine drawn as explained
above. a quantity Of water equal TO the
wine is poured upon the residue.
Were no further ingredient added. there
would be a repetition. In a degree. Of the
first fermentation. with a product having
about degrees alcoholic strength But
the object being to extract everything pos
sibIe from the residue by means Of a
heightened fermentation. and to attain an
alcoholic strength sufficient for the preser-
walton Of the new product. cane sugar in
crystals is used to the extent of 1899
pounds Of sugar to each 25417 gallons Of
the water that has been used
Each addition Ia this proportion viii
cause the alcoholic strength Of the ui-
quette 10 rise degree-that is to sav- TAX
ing ( degrees as the normal strength. TO
obtain an alcoholic strength of degrees.
one would add 17.636S pounds OF the sugar
10 each 26.4t7 gallons of water. The sugar
is dissolved in additional water JpOa a
brisk fire. and poured, when boiling. into
the vat This is then covered as before.
and the fermentation is allowed to proceed
until. as in the case OF the wine m king
the liquid issues from the plug hole. en-
urely clear. The piquette is then treated
as was the wine.
Il had occasion to investigate a case in
which the piqUette had not been used i'm
mediately after making but had been en-
piOyed in the manufacture of y wine for
bottling II was placed in casks and al
Iowed to finish its second and rather fee
bic fermentation. It then had a pale rose
unt ana was. TO q slight degree sparkling.
1t gave 9 degrees of alcoholic strength
To each 1886 quarts, 1.O567 quarts Of
heavy. black Spanish wine, costing here
about IL cents per liter, was added. and
the whole was left in casks from October
until the following March, as in the case
OF the wine itself.
1t was then cleared by the Introduction
OF gelatin, bottled, and the rcsult vvae a