WINES. 



Averages and extremes of American dry wines. 



339 



A very excellent monograph on California wines has been very re. 

 cently published by Dr. George Bauinert, 1 of the University at Halle. 

 Although the analyses were made on only eight samples, the examina- 

 tion was very complete, including a search for adulterations ; then fol- 

 lows a very exhaustive discussion of the composition, together with a 

 comparison of the samples analyzed, and similar wines made in Ger- 

 many, so that the paper is a very interesting and instructive contribu- 

 tion to the literature of American wines. I shall have occasion to 

 allude to it again in discussing the subject of adulterations. Other 

 analyses of American wines published in German periodicals and al- 

 luded to by Baumert are: "Investigation of a California Wine" by A. 

 Kayser ; 2 "Two Analyses of California Wines, Riesling audZinfau- 

 del,"by A. Stutzer; 3 "Analysis of Two California Wines, Zinfandel 

 and Gutedel Cabinet," by J. L. de Fremery. 4 



METHODS OF ANALYSIS. 



The methods of analysis used in the present investigation of wines can 

 be conveniently arranged under two heads: First, those designed for the 

 establishment of the composition of the sample examined; and, second, 

 those employed in the search for adulterants. 



Thedeterminations embraced under the first head are: Specific gravity, 

 alcoholic content, total solids, acidity, content of sugars, of glycerine, of 

 tannic acid, and of ash. These are the principal and most important de- 

 terminations in a wine analysis, though there are several others which 

 are sometimes made, such as the nitrogenous content, phosphoric acid, 

 chlorine, malic, succinic, and citric acids, &c. 



In my investigation of methods for wine analysis I have drawn espe- 

 cially upon three sources : First, the methods in use in the Municipal 

 Laboratory in Paris, and set forth in the report already quoted under 

 malt liquors; second, the methods officially authorized in the health 



'Landw. Versucks-Stationeu, 1888, 33, 39. 



2 Mittk. d. Bayr. Gewerbe-Museum zu Niirnberg, 1879, Nr. 19. 



3 Rep. der anal. Chen). 1832, Nr. 14. 



*Ber. der Deutsckeii Ckem. Gesell., 1885, 426. 



