REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION 283 



in acid for a sprightly, agreeable wine. The ratio for this wine is about the 

 same as some of the richest wines of the German Palatinate. For the red 

 wines, the acid-alcohol ratios vary decidedly; in case of Clinton ranging in 

 the dry wine from 1:11.6 to 1:18.1. Evidently this variety does not ripen 

 its fruit as evenly as Catawba in Northern Ohio or else the foliage fails to 

 resist insect pests and fungus diseases and, therefore, we have the variation 

 in quality of fruit. The sample for 1911, however, shows a very favorable 

 ratio of acid to alcohol. Clinton must, when well handled, gives a very 

 marked precipitation of tartar during fermentation and aging, and con- 

 sequent high loss of acid. Concord was only used for wine experiments 

 during two years, and as 1909 was a poor year for quality we have not 

 sufficient data for comparison. It is important to note, however, that this 

 wine does not appear to precipitate much of its acid properties during aging. 



Cynthiana was only used for wine one year, viz: 1911, which was the 

 most favorable year of the series. Nothing can be said further than to call 

 attention to its wide acid-alcohol ratio. This is very favorable to its use 

 as a stock for blending with more acid wines. Ives was used for three years 

 in the experiments and shows a very narrow acid-alcohol ratio in the dry 

 wine. This variety, like Concord, does not appear to precipitate much of 

 the acid properties. Such wines naturally remain harsh. 



Norton was used for wine experiments for two years at Sandusky and 

 three years at Charlottesville. The 1909 sample at Sandusky was made from 

 fruit showing 1.816 grams of total acid, yet the dry wine shows only .885 

 grams of acid and gives an acid-alcohol ratio of 1:12.5. This is too narrow 

 but shows remarkable precipitation of acid properties during fermentation 

 and maturing. The 1911 Norton at Sandusky is a remarkably good sample 

 and shows acid-alcohol ratio of 1:18.6. The three samples of Norton wine 

 made at Charlottesville show a favorable acid-alcohol ratio, but in the sample 

 for 1907 the narrowing of the ratio in the dry wine is due to increase of acid 

 from development of a small amount of volatile acid and a slight reduction 

 of alcohol. The two other samples show a very favorable acid-alcohol ratio. 

 The acid-alcohol ratios of these red wines are again quite as favorable as 

 the natural German wines and equal to some of the French wines. The 

 question of what is normal, or rather an acceptable acid-alcohol ratio for a 

 potable wine, presents itself forcibly in this connection. Certainly there is 

 no arbitrary ratio which can be applied to all wines. But we should be 

 able to arrive at fairly definite maximum and minimum ratios for wines of 

 each general class which would be accepted by the palate as agreeable and 

 satisfying. 



The composition of a large number of German wines covering a series 

 of years as given by Koenig, Volume I, 4th edition, pages 1182-1246, vary in 

 acid-alcohol ratio from 1:10.4 for Lothringer white wines to 1.16.8 for Pfalzer 

 white wines, and for red wines the ratio varies from 1:9.0 for Oberhessische 

 to 1:24.6 for Rheinhessische wines. A very large number of analyses of 

 German wines are given by Koenig, but the averages of districts only were 

 compared. It is well known that very many of these German wines are 

 sugared. The acid-alcohol ratios of these German wines are so confusing by 

 reason of their wide range that one cannot draw conclusions from them. 

 I have at hand only a few analyses of French white and red dry wines of 

 the Bordeaux district and these show average acid-alcohol ratios of 1:18.1 



