ON THE ART OF MAKING WINE. 11 



grape, in the gooseberry, and in many other 

 fruits as well as leaves. It is observed to abound 

 in those vegetable juices which gelatinise on boil- 

 ing. This substance, then, is the true natural 

 Jeaven of fruits, or that by which the sugar which 

 they contain, is rendered capable of undergoing 

 fermentation : And in the artificial process of vini- 

 fication, which is the subject of this paper, it is 

 to this substance that we must look for the con- 

 version into wine of that sugar which may en- 

 ter into the compound. But I shall have occasion 

 to enlarge on this subject, when I consider the 

 process of fermentation. 



Water > enumerated among the principles of 

 fruits, simple as it may appear, is a substance re- 

 quiring consideration. If the proportion of water 

 be too small in the liquor subjected to fermenta- 

 tion, that process is difficultly either established 

 or maintained. This is a matter of constant occur- 

 rence in those countries, 'where the juice of the 

 grape is boiled to a certain consistence, or where 

 the fruit before pressing, is allowed to undergo a 

 partial desiccation. From these practices, result 

 sweet and half-fermented wines, those of Cyprus 

 and other places, as well as that class of wines 

 known in Italy by the name of Vino cotto. The 

 vina cocta of the antients, appear to have been of 

 a similar quality from the same cause. The wines 

 0f Tokay and San Lucar, are known to derive ad 



