ON THE ART OF MAKING WINE* 55 



be of a good quality. They are, however, defi- 

 cient in extractive matter or leaven, and for this 

 reason are incapable of being converted into wine, 

 even with the aid of sugar, unless yeast or some 

 other leaven be added. As it is impossible to add 

 the yeast of beer in sufficient quantity for the per- 

 fect fermentation of the fluid, without spoiling the 

 flavour, these wines are generally imperfect and 

 sweet. They are likewise almost always corrupt- 

 ed in their flavour by the infusion of the peel, gi- 

 ving a taste, which, however grateful abstracted- 

 ly, does by no means coalesce with the taste of 

 wine. It would tend to the improvement of these 

 wines, if the peel were to be omitted, and if any 

 vegetable matter could be added capable of indu- 

 cing the complete fermentation, without communi- 

 cating a bad flavour* I have attempted it by 

 means of gum, and with partial success, The 

 principles I have already pointed out, will lead ex- 

 perimentalists to the search of proper substitutes 

 for the natural leaven. It is not unlikely that 

 they would be found in wheat ; either in the 

 flour or gluten. 



The gooseberry is one of the fruits most com- 

 monly used, and is in particular well known as an 

 ingredient in brisk wines, which are made to re- 

 semble, in appearance at least, the wines of Cham- 

 pagne. For this purpose, it is used in an unripe 

 state. It is well known in the wine countries that, 

 independently of those causes of briskness in wines 



