ah J the Method of making Vf^mes. 25 



%spLt itfelf feems not to explnd in a complete manner 

 Dut in wnrm countries. The fngar-canes cultivaied in out 

 'gardens furnirii fcarcely any faccharinc principle ; and 

 Igrapes are four, harfli^ or infipid; beyond the 5Cth degree of 

 latitiid<\ 



The aroma, or perfume of the grapes, as well as thefaccharine 

 principle, are the" production then of a bright and a conftant 

 fun. The /bnr or harfh juice produced in grapes during the 

 firft period of their formation cannot be properly matured in 

 the horthj.and this primitive charafter of greennefs (till exifts 

 when the firft frofts come tt) free?:e'ihe organs of maturation.' 

 Thus, in the north, the grapes rich in principles of piUre- 

 IfacSiion contain fcarcely any element of fpirituous fermenta- 

 tion, and the expreffed juice df the fruit, having experienced 

 the pha;nomena of fermentation, produces a four liquor, in 

 which there exifts only that proportion of alcohol neceflary 

 For interrupting the movements of putrid fermentation. 



The vine, therefore, as well as the other produ6lions of 

 nature, has climates peculiar to itfelf: it is between the 40th 

 and 50th degrees of latitude that this vegetable produ6lion 

 can be cultivated with any degree of advantage. It is alfo 

 between thefe points that the moft celebrated vineyards are 

 found!, and the countries richeft in vines \ fuch as Spain, 

 Portugal, France, Italy, Auftria, Styria, Carinthia, Hungary, 

 Tranfylvania, and a part of Greece. 



But of all countries none perhaps prefents fo happy a fitu^- 

 tion for the vine as Francej iiorie exhibits fo large an extent 

 of vineyards, rior expofures more varied ; and no country has 

 fuch an aftdniftiing variety of temperature. From the banc's 

 of the Rhine to the bottoili of the Pyrenees' the vine is almoft 

 every where cultivated, and in this vaft extent the moft agree- 

 able and moft fpirituous wines of Europe are to be found. 



But though climate ftamps a general and indelible charac- 

 ter dn its produftions, there are certain circumftances which 

 modify and limit its aftioilj and it is only by carefully at- 

 tending to what each of them produces that we can be able 

 to difcover the effect of climate alone. It is thus that we 

 often find the different qualities of wine united under the fame 

 Vol. IX. D climate^ 



