1869 Cooling Cups and Dainty drinks by William Terrington

42

Wines.

Sherries and other full-bodied wines are best de- canted an hour or so before using ; but Clarets, and other wines of that class, should be left undecanted till nearly when required for use. When decanting in the cellar, you require a good also a cork bin, with pointed corkscrew, to prevent pieces of cork from getting into the wine and a strainer, with some cambric, which should be hung up after use, or it will be apt to give a musty taste to the wine. As regards bottling, it is strongly recommended that the merchant who supplied the wine should send an experienced cooper to do this. Many a good butt of wine has been entirely ruined by ama- teur bottling, and the blame thrown upon the wine- merchant. But if you have a small quantity, and wish to do it yourself, be particularly careful to have clean, dry bottles, and sound corks — it is a very bad economy to have inferior ones. You will also require a bottling-boot, apron, and cork-squeezer, a driving-mallet, which ought to weigh about a pound and a half, and a pan with a little of the wine for dipping the corks in : take care to drive the corks in straight, and nearly home, leaving the space of about an inch between the wine and cork in the neck of the bottle. Be sure, ere you light,