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To make a good article, the nature of each variety and its peculiarities must be closely studied we must have as ripe grapes as we can get, carefully gathered; and we need not think that water and sugar will accomplish everything. There is a limit to everything, and to gallizing as well as to anything else. As soon as we pass beyond that limit, an inferior product will be the result.
However, this difficulty will soon be overcome; and, indeed, although it is impossible to practice gallizing without a saccharometer, we may get at the surplus of acids with tolerable certainty by the results shown by the saccharometer.
We may lay it down as a general rule, however, that our native grapes, with their strong and peculiar flavors, and their superabundance of tannin and coloring matter, will admit of much more gallizing, than the more delicately flavored European kinds. I have thus tried only to give an outline of the necessary operations, as well as the principles lying at the foundation of them.
The production of good wine is thus reduced to a mathematical certainty; although we cannot in a bad season, produce as high flavored and delicate wines, as in the best years, we can now always make a fair article, by following the simple rules laid down by DR. GALL. When this method was first introduced, it was calumniated and despised called adulteration of wine, and even prohibited by the governments of Europe; but, DR. GALL fearlessly challenged his opponents to have his wines analyzed by the most eminent chemists; which was repeatedly done, and the results showed that they contained nothing but such ingredients which pure wine should contain; and since men like VON BABO, DOBEREINER and others have openly endorsed and recommended gallizing, prejudice is giving way before the light of scientific knowledge.
Of all varieties tried, however, I found that the Concord would bear the most of gallizing, without losing its own peculiar flavor; and I satisfied myself, that the quantity in this grape can safely be increased here, from 100 gallons of must to 250 gallons of wine, and the quality yet be better, than if the must had been left in its normal condition.
It cannot be otherwise than in the highest degree beneficial; for when we simply look at grape-culture as it was ten years ago, with the simple product of the Catawba as its basis; a variety which would only yield an average of, say 200 gallons to the acre often very inferior wine and look at it to-day, with such varieties as the Concord, yielding an average of from 1,000 to 1,500 gallons to the acre, which we can yet easily double by gallizing, thus in reality yielding an average of 2,500 gallons to the acre of uniformly good wine; can we be surprised if everybody talks and thinks of raising grapes?
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