and the Method of making Wines* *X$ 



ignorant that the wine made from grapes collected in rainy 

 weather, or produced in fat foil, is not of long duration. 



The antients, as we are informed by Galen and Athenaeus, 

 had determined the epoch of age, or the period at which the 

 different wines ought to be drunk : — Falernum ah annis de- 

 cem ut potui idoneum, et a quindecim nfque ad viginti annos : 

 after that period grave eft capiti et nervos offendit. Albani 

 vero cum du<e Jint fpecies, hoc dulce Mud acerhum^ ambo a 

 decimo qulnto anno vigent. Surrentinum vigejimo quinto 

 anno incipit ejfe utile, quia eft pingue et vix digeritur, ac 

 veterafcens folum Jit potui idoneum. Tiburtinum leve eft, 

 facile vapor at, viget ah annis decern. Lubicanum pingue et 

 i?iter albanum et falernum putatur ufui ah annis decern ido- 

 neum. Gauranum rarum invenitur, at optimum eft et ro- 

 huftum. Signimum ah annis fex potui utile. 



The care employed in drawing off wine, and mixing it 

 with mute wine, contributes greatly to its prefervation. Few 

 kinds are (hipped without this precaution. It is of import- 

 ance then, for the prevention of all its alterations, that all 

 thefe operations mould be multiplied and repeated ; and it is 

 to this valuable practice we are indebted for the power of 

 being able to fend wine to all climates, and to fubject it to 

 all temperatures, without fear of decompofition. 



Among the difeafes to which wines are moil fubjecl, oilU 

 nefs and acidity are the mod common and molt dangerous. 



Oilinefs is an alteration which wines often contract: they 

 lofe their natural fluidity, and become ropy, like oil. 



The lefs fpiritous wines turn oily ; and weak wines, which 

 have fermented very little, are the moft difpofed to this ma- 

 lady. Weak wines, made from grapes which have been 

 picked, are alfo fubject to it. 



Wine turns oily in the beft corked bottles. Of this there 

 are too frequent inftances in Champagne, where the wine of 

 a whole vintage, when put into glafs vefTels, is expofed fome- 

 times to this alteration. 



Oily wines furnifh by diftillation but a little fat coloured 

 and oily fpirit. 



This fault may be corrected feveral ways. 



lit, By expofing the bottles to the air, and, above all, in 

 a well-aired barn. 



2d, By ihakins: the bottle for a quarter of an hour; then 

 uncorking it, ancl fullering the gas and foam to efcape. 



3d, By mixing the wine with fifh-glue and whites of 

 eggs mixed together. 



4th, By introducing into each bottle one or two drops of 

 lemon juice, or any other acid. 



4 From 



