The vintage

Clos Pegase in the sun

XXIII. Have everything that is needed ready for the vintage; let vats be cleaned, baskets mended and pitched, necessary jars be pitched on rainy days; let hampers be made ready and mended, spelt be ground, salt fish be bought, and windfall olives be salted. Gather the inferior grapes for the sharp wine for the hands to drink, when the time comes. Divide the grapes gathered each day, after cleaning and drying, equally between the jars. If necessary, add to the new wine a fortieth part of must boiled down from untrod grapes, or a pound and a half of salt to the culleus. If you use marble dust, add one pound to the culleus; mix this with must in the vessel and then pour into a jar. If you use resin, pulverize it thoroughly, three pounds to the culleus of must, place it in a basket, and suspend it in the jar of must; shake the basket often so that the resin may dissolve. When you use boiled must or marble dust or resin, stir frequently for twenty days and press down daily. Divide the must of the second pressing and add equally to each jar.

From De Agri Cultura the first surviving work of Latin written by Cato the Elder in 150 B.C. Grapes from the Clos Pegase the Napa Valley, California, circa 2006, harvesting has begun.