146 VITIS. No. 99 & 100 



Wines produced by the various Grapes, their mixture, 

 climate and soil, cultivation and manipulation, care and 

 skill. Perhaps 3000 kinds! of Avhich 500 in France, 

 700 in Italy. 600 in Spain and Portugal, 100 in Germa- 

 ny and Hungary, 300 in Greece and Turkey, 100 in 

 Persia, 2(,0 in Thibet and China, \50 in Egypt and Bar- 

 barv, SO in South Africa, 50 in the Atlantic Islands, 60 

 in North America, 40 in South America. But several of 

 these differ little from each other. 



The cheinical analysis^ of V\'ine gives, 1. Water. 2. Al- 

 cohol. 3. Su^ur. 4. Carbonic, tartaric, and malic acids. 

 5. Tannin. 6. A coloring matter. 7- A volatile oil dif- 

 ferent in each A^'ine, and producing the bouquet or 

 perfume distin^nishing-them. The predominance of these 

 principles affords the best classification of ^Vir s into 

 8 classes, vQd. white, sparkling, acid, astringent, stron 



rr 



sweetened, exquisite Wines, 



1, lied TVines owe their color to the coloring rriatter; 

 they are the most common, often called table Wines or 

 Clarets, they vary from pale purple to black, and from 

 the thinnes«'of water to the thickness of syrup. Vi hen 

 new, or le-- than three nn^nths ohl, they are less agre-i- 

 ble. diificuU to di*j:fcst, Haruient, liable to irritate and 

 intiame the bt;vvt:ls. When froiu 3 to 18 months old 

 they are palatable and pe* tVcr. When older they be- 

 come better still, lighter, milder, and he;iUhier, very 

 stomacliic and reviving. 



2. IVhite JVines arc made with white Grapes or red 

 Grapes without husks, they are commoBly limpid, thin 

 and dry, \^'hence often called Dry Wines or S;ii.k. The 

 color is white, pale, yellow or bjownish, TIjev are milder 

 and less acid than the red Wines, very diuretic and 

 useful in dnrp^lcs. Su;.hi are iL.<.L, .. ' " ■ 



5. Sparkling fVines contain an exces^s tn carbonic 

 acid. Commouly called C!'.ampaigne, wliite and frothy, 



verv mild and healthy : but liable to affect nervous per- 



, fc ■ ■■ 



4. Jlcid IViUi.i have too much malic acid ; they are 



thin and -ourish, but verv c^Kiling. The northern and 



^^y^ -^.'- :_ entries afford hardfyany other, the grap^^ 

 being u.i:. "-.- ^^-^ \^ vugan SeVeraf An crican grape* 



■".' 



