Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo Jan., 19 ii. 



SULPHITING.* 



A Recent French Wine-making Development. 

 F. de Castella, Government Viticulturist. 



Within the past few years, the making of the " vin ordinaire"" of 

 Southern France has undergone what is little short of a revolution, 

 owing to the introduction of a new wine-making method ; if, indeed, 

 the innovation can be dignified by such a term, since it consists of little 

 more than an improved and more general use of sulphurous acid during 

 fermentation, as a means of regularising and controlling this most vital 

 natural process. 



Cellarmen have long been familiar with this substance, though not 

 always under the above name. The so-called fumes, produced when 

 sulphur is burnt in air, consist almost exclusively of sulphurous acid or 

 sulphur dioxide, as the gaseous form is more correctly called. Its 

 chemical formula, SO^, constitutes a convenient abbreviation. The 

 sulphuring of wine, by means of these " fumes," has long been known 

 and often practised, whilst their use for preserving empty casks in sound 

 condition is so universal that sulphur is rightly looked upon as an in- 

 dispensable substance in every cellar. 



In addition to its being sanctioned by centuries of experience, sul- 

 phurous acid is one of the few substances, the use of which is authorized 

 by our pure wine and pure food laws ; it is, in fact, the only legal 

 antiseptic so far as wine is concerned. The proportion in which it may 

 be used is strictly limited, but legislative restrictions are sufficiently broad 

 to enable ample advantage to be taken of the regularising influence on 

 which the method of using it, now under review, is based. This 

 -presents nothing which is in the slightest degree contrary to either the 

 letter or the s fir it of our fure wine laws. 



In the past, sulphuring has been usually confined to the after treat- 

 ment of wines, and has usually been an exceptional operation — at least 

 in "Victoria — or only applied in certain special districts. It is worthy 

 of note, however, that some heavily sulphured wines rank amongst the 

 choicest and highest priced which Europe produces. The new method 

 consists in applying it during and from the very commencement of fer- 

 mentation. Its action is thus very different from what obtained under 

 former methods, in which it played the part of an ordinarv antiseptic. 



Sulphuring was formerly confined to white wines. The new system 

 is equally applicable to red or white wines. 



Need for Regularising Fermentation. 



In theorv. wine-making is an automatic process. Nature has placed 

 the sugar in the interior juice and the ferment, which is to convert it 

 into alcohol, in the bloom, on the outside of the I)erry. When these are 

 brought into contact, through the crushing of the fruit, the transforma- 

 tion into wine takes place spontaneously, demanding from the wine- 

 maker little intervention, beyond seeing to the absolute cleanliness of 

 implements and storage vessels, and separation from solid matters and 

 occasionally rackings at such times as may be found most suitable. 



Some of the finest wines the world has yet produced are the result 

 of manipulations as rudimentary as those outlined above. Especially 



* Pending theaciontion of a more suitablr' torni, a literal trnnslatioii of the French word snlfiUige nm-st be 

 used. Thissisrnifies the use of sulphites, and has been adopted, owinirto the fact tint the snl)iluu-ous acid, 

 which constitutes the basis of the process, is usually added in the form of a sulphite, niainiy as bisulphite 

 of potash. 



