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72
DRINKS
A
LA
MODE
moved.
A
principal
vat
of
the
best
fruit,
which
is
called
cuve-mere^
is
then
made,
into
which,
after
packing,
the
workmen
continue
to
put
the
best
grapes
without
their
stalks
and
without
treading
them,
till
they
are
from
fifteen
to
twenty
inches
deep,
after
which
they
throw
about
two
gallons
of
old
cognac
upon
them,
and
then
another
bed
of
picked
grapes,
followed
by
two
gallons
more
of
brandy,
and
so
on
till
the vat
is
full.
About
four
gallons
of
spirit
of
wine
is
then
added
for
a
wine-
vat
from
thirty
to
thirty-six
tuns.
When
there
is
a
deficiency
of saccharine
matter
in
the
grapes
starch-sugar
is
sometimes
added.
The
cuve-viere
when
filled
is
closed
and
well
covered
with
blankets
to
prevent
the
entrance
of
air,
and
is
left
in
this
state
for
about
a
month.
A
small
cock
or
tap
is
placed
in
the
side
of
the
vat
at
about
a
third
of
its
depth
from
the
bottom,
in
order
to
allow
of the
progress
of
fermentation
being
observed,
and
to
enable
the
manufacturer
to
know
when
the
wine,
having
become
cool
and
sufficiently
clear,
may
be
racked
off
and
put
into
casks.
While
the
cuve-mere
is
at
work
the
ordinary
vintage
goes
on
as
follows
:
The
grapes
are
trodden
or
acted
on
by
machinery
in
the
press
and
put
with
their
stalks
into
the
vats
;
then
the
fermenta-
tion
takes
place
naturally.
About
a
foot
of
the
upper
part
of
the
vat
is
not
filled,
in
order
to
leave
space
for
the
fermentation,
which
in
very
mature
vintages
sometimes
occasions
an
overflow
of
these
limits.
The
term
chapeau
is
applied
to
the
floating
mass
of
stalks
lightly
covered,
and
in
from
a
week
to
a
fortnight
the
wine
is
ready
for
being
drawn
off,
for
if
it
is
left
upon
the
lees
(marre)
or
in
con-
tact
with
its
crust
(chapeau)
it
would
take
the
dis-