19(3 WINE. 



table-lands of South America, where they neverthelers enjoy a 

 mean temperature of from 17° to 19^ C, (about 62.6° to 66.2° F.,) 

 because that which characterizes the climate of these elevated 

 equinoxial countries is the constancy of the temperature ; the vine 

 grows, flourishes, but the grapes never become thoroughly ripe. In 

 these equatorial countries good wine cannot be made where the con- 

 stant temperature is not at least 20° C, (or 68° F.) 



In France the vine begins to sprout towards the end of March, 

 and the vintage generally occurs in the course of October. As the 

 quality of wine depends mainly on the ripeness of the grapes, of 

 course the vintage does not take place until this is complete, or until 

 there is no longer any prospect of improvement. 



The must of the grape is procured by treading and pressing the 

 fruit ; the juice is run into vats, and the fermentation takes place in 

 cellars ; different procedures, however, are followed in ditTerent 

 places. The fermentation having subsided in the larger vessels, the 

 wine is drawn off" into smaller casks, which are carefully filled up 

 from time to time, and in which it is preserved. 



Wine may be defective, especially by wanting strength and being 

 too acid. Sharp wine contains an excess of cream of tartar and 

 free vegetable acids, and is always the proiluce of grapes which 

 have not been completely ripe. The deficiency of strength is due 

 to the same cause ;' for it is well known that as the grape ripens its 

 acids disappear and are replaced by sugar. This deficiency of sac- 

 charine matter in the must, is now habitually supplied by the addition 

 of a quantity of artificial grape sugar, prepared from starch. In 

 warm countries, where the grape always ripens, the quantity of tar- 

 tar is small ; the sugar then predominates greatly, sometimes to such 

 an extent that the azotized substance of the must is insufficient as a 

 ferment, and it is then that we have wines of too sweet a flavor, 

 such as those of Lunel and of Frontignac. When these musts, 

 which are so rich in sugar, contain the proper quatUity of ferment 

 they produce very strong wines, in which, of course, the sweet 

 flavor no longer predominates ; such are the dry wines of southern 

 vineyards, of wliich that of Madeira may be taken as the type. 

 There are some wines which participate at once in the properties 

 that distinguish the two varieties that I have mentioned, or that show- 

 one of them in excess according to circumstances; such are the 

 wines of Xeres, Alicant, Malaga. &c. Some of these wines are 

 what are called boiled wines, that is to say, a portion of the must, as 

 it flows from the press, is concentrated to a fourth or a fifth of its 

 original bulk by boiling, and this being added to the rest, the strength 

 of the resulting wine is increased. Sometimes the concentration 

 of the juice is effected by drying the grapes partially. It is in ibis 

 way that the celebrated Hungarian wine, called Tokay, is prepared ; 

 the clusters are left upon the vines after they are rip< , an«i alternate- 

 ly exposed to the cold of the night, which probably c ecomposes to a 

 certain extent the texture of the grapes, and to the , eal of the sun. 

 They shrivel and become partially dry. In this state the grapes are 

 subjected to pressure, and a very sweet must, as may be conceived. 



