208 THE AET OF LIVING IN AUSTRALIA.
to be highly appreciated in the world's markets. But to produce an
appreciable wine, it is necessary that the vignerons shoidd improve in
their system of wine-making, and substitute for their sheds cellars con-
structed on a rational principle ; and by devoting more attention to the
cleanliness of the casks and other cellar appliances. A modification in
the system of cultivation and pruning of the vines will also be factors in
improving the quality of the wine.
" There is in this country good soil, and a climate which cannot be
equalled for the successful cultivation of the vine. Capital is plentiful,
and the people very enterprising ; so there remains only the want of
Technical Instruction, by the institution of practical schools of viticul-
ture, without which it is doubtful if ever its vignerons will succeed in
making wines likely to be appreciated in the foreign markets."
In the same way Mr. J. A. Despeissis, of the New South
Wales Department of Agriculture, also insists upon cellar
cleanliness. And it would seem, indeed, that there is ample
justification for his deprecatory remarks. It appears that
on several occasions he has noticed fowls and pigeons roost-
ing in the wine cellars. Now, as he pungently observes,
the wine cellar was never intended for this sort of thing.
Another way of putting the matter would be to point out
what a mad thing it would be to use a fowl house as a cellar.
Moreover, he gives minute directions for disinfecting the
cellar, in order to destroy any germs or minute organisms
which may be lurking in crevices or in odd corners. This
is best accomplished by burning some sulphur in earthen-
ware pots, distributed over various parts of the cellar ;
previously seeing that all the windows and gaps are rendered
air-tight by means of bagging. The fumes should be left
in the cellar for a day or two, after which the doors are
opened, and a free current of air allowed to sweeten the
whole place.
Moreover, a model cellar is necessarily a very elaborate
affair, considering it is the laboratory, so to speak, in which
the wine is created. A model cellar would consist of the
following six compartments : —
AUSTRALIAN WINE. 209
1. Tlie section for tke first treatment of the grape.
2. The fermentation department.
3. The section for the preparation and storing of the
new wine.
4. The underground cellar for the storage of the matured
wine.
5. The bottle department.
6. The distillation department and for the utilization of
the refuse of wine.
The cellar of Mr. Henley, near the Ovens Riyer, in
Victoria, is very complete. It is provided with a steam lift,
a steam crushing machine, and a steam pump, while there
is perfect ventilation and a uniform temperature. His
cellar is divided into three compartments : the fermenting
house in the middle, the cellar for the new wine, and the
cellar for the old wine. The building is 83 feet by 80 feet,
built of brick, with double walls 9 inches thick outside and
4 inches inside, and between the walls there is 4| inches of
space. The temperature on the hottest days in the summer
never surpasses 80° Fahrenheit ; and, lastly, the floors, both
of the cellars and the fermenting house, are cemented for
the purpose of absolute cleanliness.
THE MAKING OF THE WINE — THE GATHERING OF THE
GRAPE.
At the very beginning one of the chief matters to be
Page 141
Presented as published in 1893. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
to be highly appreciated in the world's markets. But to produce an appreciable wine, it is necessary that the vignerons should improve in their system of wine-making, and substitute for their sheds cellars constructed on a rational principle ; and by devoting more attention to the cleanliness of the casks and other cellar appliances. A modification in the system of cultivation and pruning of the vines will also be factors in improving the quality of the wine.
" There is in this country good soil, and a climate which cannot be equalled for the successful cultivation of the vine. Capital is plentiful, and the people very enterprising ; so there remains only the want of Technical Instruction, by the institution of practical schools of viticulture, without which it is doubtful if ever its vignerons will succeed in making wines likely to be appreciated in the foreign markets."
In the same way Mr. J. A. Despaissis, of the New South Wales Department of Agriculture, also insists upon cellar cleanliness. And it would seem, indeed, that there is ample justification for his deprecatory remarks. It appears that on several occasions he has noticed fowls and pigeons roosting in the wine cellars. Now, as he pungently observes, the wine cellar was never intended for this sort of thing. Another way of putting the matter would be to point out what a mad thing it would be to use a fowl house as a cellar. Moreover, he gives minute directions for disinfecting the cellar, in order to destroy any germs or minute organisms which may be lurking in crevices or in odd corners. This is best accomplished by burning some sulphur in earthenware pots, distributed over various parts of the cellar ; previously seeing that all the windows and gaps are rendered air-tight by means of bagging. The fumes should be left in the cellar for a day or two, after which the doors are opened, and a free current of air allowed to sweeten the whole place.
Moreover, a model cellar is necessarily a very elaborate affair, considering it is the laboratory, so to speak, in which the wine is created. A model cellar would consist of the following six compartments : —
1. The section for the first treatment of the grape.
2. The fermentation department.
3. The section for the preparation and storing of the new wine.
4. The underground cellar for the storage of the matured wine.
5. The bottle department.
6. The distillation department and for the utilization of the refuse of wine.
The cellar of Mr. Henley, near the Ovens Riyer, in Victoria, is very complete. It is provided with a steam lift, a steam crushing machine, and a steam pump, while there is perfect ventilation and a uniform temperature. His cellar is divided into three compartments : the fermenting house in the middle, the cellar for the new wine, and the cellar for the old wine. The building is 83 feet by 80 feet, built of brick, with double walls 9 inches thick outside and 4 inches inside, and between the walls there is 4| inches of space. The temperature on the hottest days in the summer never surpasses 80° Fahrenheit ; and, lastly, the floors, both of the cellars and the fermenting house, are cemented for the purpose of absolute cleanliness.
THE MAKING OF THE WINE — THE GATHERING OF THE GRAPE.
At the very beginning one of the chief matters to be