IJ Aug., 1916.] The New Alcohol Tables. 480 



within the limit of experimental error. The remaining instance showed 

 a gain in strength of 1.2 per cent, proof-spirit. This, howevir, has not 

 been due to secondary fermentation during the voyage to London, as 

 the wine, prior to shipment, was proved to contain no fermentable sugar. 



10. In Table II., appended, details are tabulated of the tests made in 

 the Commonwealth Laboratory of these shipments of Australian wine, 

 and the strength, as ascertained by Hehner's tables, and also by the new 

 tables, are recorded for comparison. It will be observed that the strength 

 of the bulk shipments of wines exported during the past two years, wiien 

 calculated by the new tables, ranges from a minimum of 23.3 per cent, 

 up to a maximum of 28.7 per cent. By the Hehner tables, the strength 

 found was uniformly 0.5 per cent, higher. It is generally known, how- 

 ever, that Hehner's tables give higher values than the official Sikes 

 iiables to the extent of about 1 per cent. This was commented upon by 

 -Sir James Dobbie. 



11. It is desirable that the fact should be emphasized strongly that 

 the bulk exports of Australian wines represent blends on a very large 

 scale of wines of similar character and type, though often of different 

 vintages. The alcoholic strength of the wines entering into a blend is 

 therefore normally subject to some variation, the strength of the blend 

 being proportionate to those of the wines entering into the blend. 



12. It has not yet been proved that the earlier statements as to the 

 alcoholic strength of Australian wines, though exceptionally only, rising 

 to as much as 30 per cent, of proof -spirit, or even exceeding that figure, 

 are not correct. Investigations into this matter have been in progress 

 in the Commonwealth Laboratory for some time, and are not yet 

 •completed. 



13. The incidence of the British new tables for ascertaining the 

 strength of spirits and wines becomes, therefore, a matter of importance 



to the Australian wine industry. In Table III., appended hereto, the 

 special incidence of the new tables, as compared with the Sikes tables, 

 is shown for the degrees Sikes ranging from 89.0 degrees to 92.0 degrees: 

 it is at the higher degrees of Sikes, viz., those in the neighbourhood of 

 30 per cent, prcof-spirit, that the naturally strong Australian wine.s may 

 occasionally be at a disadvantage on importation to Great Britain, 

 for the alcoholic strength by the old tables of a wine formerly permitted 

 importation under the lower rate of duty at 29.5 per cent, proof-spirit 

 would, under the new tables, be assessed at 30.5 per cent, proof -spirit 

 at the higher rate of duty. 



14. Bearing in mind that the samples representing bulk wine exported 

 to London, tested in the Commonwealth Laboratory during the past two 

 years, have lieen blends of wines varying to some extent in their natural 

 alcoholic strength, it must be conceded that there is a possibility, when 

 unblended Australian wines of the maximum strength are exported to 

 Great Britain, that they may be charged at the higher rate of duty, 

 for the new tables, in the critical neighbourhood of 29 to 30 per cent, 

 proof-spirit, read approximately 1 per cent, higher than the old official 

 tables. 



15. Ill view of the above fnrts. and also as a means of providing 

 against the coii'mon sources of experimental error in the sampling of 

 bulk wiues and in the analytical testing for alcoholic strength, it is 

 recommended that representations be made to the Under-Secretarv of 



