ON THE Akt OF MAKING WINE. 17 



tion of artificial leaven. Although I cannot point 

 out a precise remedy for this evil, these remarks 

 may perhaps turn the attention of wine-makers to 

 search for one. , 



It will from these considerations be evident, 

 that if certain proportions of sugar and of leaven, 

 whether natural or artificial be taken, and the pro- 

 cess of fermentation be suffered to proceed to its 

 natural termination, the result will be a fluid per- 

 fectly vinous, containing neither sugar nor acid, 

 and analogous either to beer or to wine, according 

 to other circumstances hereafter to be considered. 

 If the proportion of leaven be deficient, the pro- 

 duce will contain unchanged sugar ; and the same 

 effect will take place, if the fermentation be pre- 

 maturely stopped by artificial means. If, on the 

 contrary, the leaven is in excess, or the fermenta- 

 tion has been designedly protracted by artificial 

 means, a new product will be formed, and the 

 whole, or a portion of the alcohol, will disappear, 

 and acetic acid will be found in its place. Sweet 

 wine, therefore, is an imperfect wine, or one in 

 which the leaven has borne so small a proportion 

 to the sugar, as to have been incapable of convert- 

 ing the whole into a vinous liquor. This is the 

 case with our domestic wines, when a large 

 quantity of sugar is added to so small a proportion 

 of fruit, that the compound does not contain na- 

 tural leaven enough to convert the whole into 

 wine. This evil may be corrected by the use of 



