n slowly. You can keep this by
itself; and this, and the last from the lees, is generally put into a
cask together and allowed to settle again. It will make a good, clear
wine after a few weeks. As soon as the wine runs quite clear and
limpid, it can be put into the cask destined to receive it, and you can
let it run as fast as it can be emptied. When the wine has run off down
to the tap hole, the cask may be carefully raised on the other end, one
inserting a brick or piece of board under it, while the other lifts
gently and slowly. This may be repeated several times, as long as the
wine runs clear; and even the somewhat cloudy wine may be put with the
first pailful into a separate cask. As soon as it comes thick or muddy,
it is time to stop. The lees are emptied out, and will, if distilled,
make a fine flavored and very strong brandy.

This treatment can be applied to all white and light-colored wines,
when it is not desirable to have a certain astringency in the wine. The
Catawba, Concord, Herbemont, Delaware, Rulander, Cassady, Taylor,
Louisiana, Hartford Prolific, and Cunningham should all be treated in a
similar manner. The Concord, although it will, under this treatment,
make only a light red wine, of which the color can be changed to dark
red by fermenting on the husks, is not desirable if treated in the
latter manner; as the peculiar foxy aroma of the grape will be imparted
to the must to such a degree, as to make the flavor disagreeable, I
shall recur to the subject of flavor in wines in another chapter.

To make red wine, the must should be fermented on the husks, as
generally the darkest color is desired, and also, a certain
astringency, which the wine will acquire principally from the seeds,
skins, and stems of the grapes, which contain the tannin. The grapes
are mashed, and put into the fermenting vat, of the kind described
before, with false bottoms. After the vat is filled about three-fourths
the false bottom is put on, the husks are pressed down by it, until
they are covered about six inches by the must, and the cover put on. It
is seldom desirable here to ferment longer than three days on the
husks, if the weather is warm--in a temperature of 60 deg.--two days will
often be enough, as the wine will become too rough and astringent by an
excessively long fermentation. Only experience will be the proper guide
here, and also the individual taste. It will be generally time to
press, when the must has change