The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-08-02
The Day of
Amateur Wine
Brewification

Perish the thought that secrecy
must be maintained with regard tC
a household activity which is gain
ing the universal popularity THAT
wine making is. Thrre American
citizens anywhere cannot talk more
than three or four minutes together
before somebody has mentioned his
latest experience with wine making
or beer brewing, unless one of the
three be a preacher, a sheriff, a
w. C. T. U. or an A. S. L. One hes
itates to mention the matter to one
of them for fear of hurting his feel
ings. But in general the subject
is a live one and very acceptable.
There was French family down
near Bordeaux, and is there yet.
They had tried each time Ameri-
can troops came to their town to get
some of the boys billeted with them.
they had a pretty fair little barn,
lnoccupied. But madame and her
two daughters would always get in
terested enough in the Yanks,
whether quartered with them or not,
that their tears would flow when
the regiment marched away for the
'front.',
So they decided they were not so
anxious to have overseas soldiers
living as near TO them as in their
own barn, because the acquaintance
invariably led to sorrows and leave,
takings, when all of a sudden the
original application was accepted
and a squad of artillerymen took
possession of the billet. They stayed
a week. After the war one Of
them wrote back to the little
town and asked of the young
est daughter lin effect: For the
love of Mike, let me know how you
folks make that wonderful stuff that
is called win blanc. | am awful
thirsty for some"
And the young lady replied:
"As you know, at G there
are many vineyards and the wine
they make here is classed among
the best of the region (Which itself
is famous 70 rthe quality of its
wines). Living in country where
the making of wine is the principal
industry, | think ! can give you just
about the necessary directions.
81 do not hide the fact that wine
making is a delicate thing-but with
the will to do it one succeeds at
anything, is it not so?
Naturally, in the first place you
pick the grapes, in October, when
they are very ripe, very dark. In
France this picking is called la VEN
DANCE
when the grape is picked, you
carry it to the press. 1t has to be
pressed to get all the juice out. That
operation made--you would never
< uSSS HOW IL Ull HoI lCll you. NlIh
the feet (bare, of course) docs that
by any chance give you distaste
for the good wine of France? What
would you have? 1t is the custom.
when the grape is we'll crushed
you draw off all that is not pulp,
and that which remains, juice and
crushed seeds, is put into vat and
to ferment for eight or ten
days, about. When the fermenta-
ton is achieved you sell the juice
or put it in casks.
"You can commence to drink it
right away. 1t is still thin and mild.
1t is new wine win nouveaU. But
after two months, say, the wine loses
it's mild flavor-it is made 1t is
not till the end of two years that
the wine is bottled, or, if preferred,
one may let it age as one pleases.
1.-THE wine in it's casks undergoes
other treatments. A good wine
maker must know how to care for
his wine. have no great amount
of science on the subject, but l can
tell you the principal care to give
the wine in the cask.
1.-THE drawing-off process-that is
to separate the clear wine from the
dregs which are at the bottom of
fho oock Thoca droUo nnpfoin mora
or less Of the unhealthy ferments.
Drawing-off partially sterilizes the
wine.
"The casks are to be kept full
with clear water). This clarifies
the wine"