1880 Facts about Port and Madeira by Henry Vizetelly

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The Vineyards and Wines of Madeira.

grapes,tlie latter were all piled up in tlie centre or at the sides and pressed and patted with the hands,the juice as it escaped being strained by passing through a basket hung on to the bica •or spout of the lagar. This piling up was repeated three times, known as the first, second, and third avertura or opening,and then came another operation—the compactly piling of the mass in a central heap for the cord, which was coiled neatly round it, with intervening spaces through which the juice could exude. A stout wooden disc, strengthened with cross-pieces, was placed •on the top, and on this several square billets were laid trans versely, with a stout board over all. On this pile the beam is brought to bear by means of the perpendicular screw at one end of it, resting on a huge stone a few feet from the lagar. The .juice pressed by this means is called "vinho da corda." After an hour or two of this work the solid mass is broken up •with the hands or with hoes,if necessary, and then commences the repiza,a vigorous dancing and jumping movement executed to time upon the apparently diy grape-skins. This is in order effectually to bruise those grapes that are in the condition of raisins and have become softened from soaking in the expressed juice. The repiza lasts for half an hour or so, the men en livening their labours with a variety of jokes, practical and other. Occasionally two of them on one side of the beam wdl suddenly seize a comrade and toss him over to the other side, where the men will receive him •with open arms, but only to fling him back over the beam again, amidst the laughter of the party. The grape-skins are now piled up again,and once more pressed; then water is poured upon them, and they are weU stirred up and pressed for the last time, yielding the agua p^, given to the workpeople to drink.