lo Jan., 1911-] Sulp kiting. 23 



when dealing with small quantities of perfect fruit, and under tem- 

 perature conditions, absolutely at their best for the proper evolution of 

 the ferment, the happiest results have usually been obtained. When 

 dealing with large quantities, however, conditions are vastly different, and 

 in spite of scrupulous cleanliness faulty wines are occasionally produced. 

 Climate plays an enormous part, and it is worthy of note that it is in 

 the warmer parts of Southern France and Algeria, where climatic con- 

 ditions are so similar to our own, that the advantages of the new method 

 have led to its very general adoption. 



The troubles of the wine-maker in hot climates are not new, and 

 since the very earliest times it has been found possible to evade them, by 

 supplementing Nature in the shape of the addition of certain substances 

 to the crushed grapes, prior to fermentation. Gypsum or plaster proved 

 itself to be a most efficient corrective of faults in composition, as well 

 as a safeguard against fermentation dangers in warm countries. For 

 centuries is has been practically the only corrective used. With its aid 

 it was found possible to make sound wine, whereas without it, faulty 

 wines were of continual occurrence. In ancient Rome plastering was 

 very generally carried out and the practice has until recently been a 

 common one in warm climates. 



In addition to its manifest advantages, however, plastering presents 

 the drawback of increasing the proportion of sulphates in the wine. When 

 the French Academy of Medicine limited the proportion of these sub- 

 stances to 2 grammes per litre, calculated as sulphate of potash, a limit 

 reached by the addition of one-third to one-half the quantity of plaster, 

 usually judged to be necessary for safety, consternation was caused in 

 warm southern districts, and very large quantities of faulty wines were 

 made. 



As plaster in such reduced quantities exerts .scarcely any beneficial 

 purpose on fermentation, its use was discontinued. Several other 

 substances were proposed to take its place which would not alter the 

 composition of the wine to an extent contrary to French legislation ; 

 notably bicalcic phosphate and tartrate of lime, neither of which gave 

 results approaching tho.se of discarded plaster. Greater attention was 

 paid to control of temperatures and correction of acidity, where naturally 

 deficient, by the addition of tartaric acid. 



Sound wines were once more produced in large quantities, but wine- 

 making could no longer be looked upon as the simple process of former 

 times. Many growers regretted the days when the use of plaster was 

 unrestricted and not a few authorities have expressed opinions opposed to 

 present legislation. Nevertheless, the laws of most countries are now 

 similar to those of France, and, in the case of dry wines at least, 

 plastering is henceforth out of the question. It has never been practised 

 to any extent in Victoria. 



This brief historical sketch is necessary to explain the growing jjojiu- 

 larity of the new method, which is truly i)heiiomcnal. Although only 

 propo.sed a few years back, it is estimated that, during the 1909 vintage, 

 no less than 7 to 800,000 hectolitres (15,400,000 to 17.600,000 gallons) 

 wert fermented in Southern France with the aid of sulphurous acid.* 

 Presenting, as it does, all the advantages of plastering without any of 

 its defects it is really not surprising that it should appeal so strongly 

 to wine-makers and bid fair to b<come the universal wine-making method 

 of Southern France. 



• .lean \ iilal in Bulletin de la Societi' det Agrieullft.rs Ue France. 1.'. (»<f., liKil>. p. 264. 



