ON THE ART OF MAKING WINE. 27 



also better preserved ; and it appears that a great 

 part of the alcohol produced is dissipated by the 

 carbonic acid, which holds it in solution, and 

 which produces a well known effect, both on the 

 organ of smell, and on the nervous system in gene- 

 ral, when this disengagement is made in the 

 stomach. It is not yet well explained, how the 

 carbonic acid is disposed of when produced in 

 close vessels. Many of the practices followed in 

 making particular wines, depend on a consideration 

 of these two modes of conducting the fermenta- 

 tion ; but it rarely happens that an exclusive fer- 

 mentation in close vessels is used. This is gene- 

 rally reserved for the last and most tranquil stage. 

 A consideration of the effects produced by these 

 different methods, and of the product which we 

 wish to obtain, will be necessary to guide us in 

 our choice of either of these two processes, or of a 

 certain admixture of both. If the wine is meant 

 to be still, and if it is not desirable to husband the 

 strength and flavour, the whole fermentation may 

 be carried on openly. This will be the case with 

 strong and sweet wines. If, on the contrary, a 

 wine of the character of Champagne is intended, 

 which must retain its briskness, flavour and 

 strength, we must be guided in our practices by 

 rules similar to those in use in that, and other 

 districts of France, and adopt a partially close 

 mode of fermenting. In all cases, it appears tp 



