66 ON THE ART OF MAKING WINE. 



ment of that carbonic gas, which is in a real state 

 of combination with the wine. Moreover, the 

 neutral salt formed by the alkali, with the natural 

 acid of the wine, is always sensible to the taste ; 

 while at the same time the native acid of the 

 wine, so essential to the composition of this fluid, 

 is destroyed ; not to mention the danger of this 

 acid taste being replaced by an alkaline one, from 

 an over-dose of that ingredient. 



The third variety of wine, is that, of which Hock, 

 Grave and Rhenish, may be taken as examples. 

 In these, the saccharine principle is entirely over- 

 come by a complete fermentation, while their after- 

 change is prevented by a careful application of 

 those processes laid down for the preservation of 

 the wines of this class. Makers of domestic wines 

 have rarely succeeded in imitating these wines. 

 The reasons are obviously two -fold, the great dis- 

 proportion of the sugar to the subsequent fermen- 

 tation in the first instance, and that want of the 

 after-management, the neglect of which soon con- 

 signs these wines to the vinegar cask, if chance 

 should even at first have produced success. I 

 may venture to point out the imitation of these 

 wines, from my own experience, not only as readi- 

 ly attainable, but as among the very best of those 

 which can be made from domestic fruits. It is 

 evident from what has been already said, that the 

 relative proportions of the fruit and sugar in most 

 common use, must be materially altered, and that 





