VICTORIAN WINES. 



307 



South Australian Commission of 1874 found an average specific 

 gravity of 1-118 from seventeen samples of grapes, representing 

 28-4 grammes of siTgar per 100 c.c). The reason for the diiference 

 in the alcoholic strength of the wines may therefore be partly 

 ascribed to a difference in the sugar strength of the musts. As 

 these previous determinations of the specific gravity of Australian 

 musts were very few, it seemed desirable to make determinations 

 for a number of typical Victorian samples, and at the same time to 

 measure the acidity of the same musts, on account of its radical 

 importance to the character of a wine. 



During the Victorian vintage of 1893, 119 samples of must 

 were examined, and as the determinations for each were made on 

 the vineyard where it was produced, and as the vintage season is 

 short and the vineyards are widely scattered, it was not possible 

 for me, single-handed, to do more than determine the specific 

 gravities and acidities of the 119. The separate determinations 

 for each sample are given in the tables appended, also with notes 

 indicating the district, name of vineyard, variety of gi'ape, con- 

 dition of grajjes, date of examination. The specific gravities are 

 referred to a temperature of 15° C. and water at 15° C, the acidity is 

 given as free acids, calculated in the usual manner as tartaric acid, 

 in grammes per 100 c.c. of must. The sugar strength given in 

 the tables as grammes per 100 c.c, is derived from the specific 

 gravity, according to a table in Traite de la Vigne et de ses 

 produits. Fortes ic Ruyssen, vol. ii., 1886. Salleron's allowance 

 being made in that table for the effect of matters in the must 

 other than sugar on the specific gravity. This allowance has been 

 obtained as empirically suitable for French musts, and it remains 

 to be ascertained how far it applies accurately to Australian musts, 

 but for present purposes it must be accurate enough. In addition 

 to sugar strengths and acidities the ratio of acidity to sugar 

 strength is given in the last columns as parts of acid to 100 parts 

 of sugar. 



From these determinations on 119 musts an average can be 

 obtained for comparison with the French and German average, as 

 given in the following small table : — 



The great sugar strength of Victorian musts is quite conspicuous 

 in this table ; it is nearly half as great again as those of the musts 



