and the Method of making Wines. 151 



phured match is then burnt in it; and when the combuftioxi 

 is finilhed, the cafk is Hopped, and fhaken in every direction. 

 After being left at reft for an hour or two, it is un (topped, 

 more wine is added ; it is then again fulphured, and the ope- 

 ration is repeated till the cafk be full. This is the procefs 

 ufually followed at Bourdeaux. 



At Marfeillan, near the commune of Cette, in Languedoc, 

 a kind of wine is made of white grapes called mute ivine, 

 which is employed to fulphur others. The vintage is trod 

 and preifed without giving it time to ferment; it is then put 

 into calks filled one-fourth ; fever d matches are burnt over 

 k; and the calks are ftrongly fhaken, until no more gas 

 efcapes through the bung-hole when opened. A new quan- 

 tity of wine Ts then added, matches are again burnt over it, 

 and the calks are (liaken with the fame precautions. This 

 operation is repeated till the calk is full. This wine never 

 ferments, and for that reafon is called mute wine {vin muet). 

 It has a fweetilh favour, a ftrong fulphurous odour, and 

 is employed for mixing with other wine. > Two or three bot- 

 tles of it are put into a calk. This mixture is equivalent to 

 fulphuring. 



Sulphuring firft renders wine turbid, and gives it a bad co- 

 lour; but the colour is reftored in the courfe of time, and the 

 wine becomes clear. This operation whitens the wine a little. 

 Sulphuring is attended with the very valuable advantage of 

 preventing it becoming acetous. Though it be difficult to 

 explain this efTecl, it appears to me that it cannot be con- 

 ceived but by conlidering it under two points of view : 



1 ft, By the help of the fulphurous gas the atmofphcric air 

 is difplaced, which otherwife would become mixed with the 

 wine, and determine acid fermentation. 



sd, Some atoms of a violent acid, which oppofes and over- 

 comes the development of a weaker acid, are produced. 



The antients compofed a kind of maftic with pitch, a fif* 

 tieth part of wax, and a little fait and incenfe, which they 

 employed for burning in their cafks. This operation was 

 denoted by the words plcare do/ia, and the wines thus pre- 

 pared were known under the names of <vina p'icata. They 

 are mentioned by Plutarch and Hippocrates. 



It was, perhaps, in consequence of this cuftom that the 

 fir was confecrated by the antieiits to Bacchus : at prefent, 

 an agreeable perfume is communicated to weakened red wine 

 by making it remain over a ftratum of the fhavings of fir. 

 JBaccius fays that the calks ought to be pitched (picare dolia) 

 during the dog days. 



[To be continued.] 



K 4 XXJH. Re. 



