1880 Facts about Port and Madeira by Henry Vizetelly

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In the Pori Wine Cmmlry.

tlie stalks of tke grapes are invariablyremovedbeforetbe latter are thrown into the lagar, and one-half should they be at all green. "When there is an abundance of labour as manymenas the lagares will conveniently hold are told off to do the treading. Both red and white wine are usually made sweet by arresting the fermen- "lationbeforeit has completed itself,inaddition to which the white Ports commonly have two or three almudes of geropiga—a syrupy liqueur, the basis of which is unfermented grape-juice— •added to each pipe at the moment of vatting. Whatever mosto is obtained from subjecting the husks and stalks of the grapes to the action of a powerful Mabille press is run into "the same tonels as the other wine. In these tonels the wine remains undisturbed until Christmas, when it is racked into ■other tonels, and receives half an almude of brandy per pipe. In "the spring it is sent along mountain-roads on bullock-carts tq ■Senhor Souza's stores at Pinhao,whence it goes down the Douro by boat to Oporto. Male lagariros chancing to be scarce at CeUeiros, beforeI left that unattractive villageIhad the opportunity of seeing the fair sex creditably acquit themselves in treading the grapes in a lagar. It was at night-time, and a party of us, groping our way through one of the side streets of the village by the aid of a lantern, arrived in front of a low one-storied edifice, whence shouts of laughter mingled with the strains of music were issuing. The odour of fermenting mosto pervaded the air, indicating that wine-making was going on. The door being ■opened, we entered the dimly-lighted building, guided by one of the feitores, who advanced lantern in hand to greet us. Here were a couple of lagares filled with grapes, and in both of them "treaders were at work. In the one over which the usual huge beam was suspended a party of men raised their legs alternately in a hstless manner. The other lagar was tenanted by treaders, also inmasculine attire, but of the softer sex. About a score of women (some young, but most of themmiddle-aged), dressed in the worn-out garments of their husbands and brothers, the majority of whom were at work in the adjoining lagar, were