WINES. 353 



Mttjcimnni, minimum, and mean composition of the sample-* examined. 



A comparison of the composition of American wines with those of 

 other countries, as shown in these analyses, and a discussion of the 

 points of difference or agreement would be a most interesting and in 

 structive task. It would require considerable space, however, for a 

 proper presentation of the subject, and must be omitted in the present 

 investigation, as not being of so direct importance to the question of 

 the adulteration of wines. 



THE ADULTERATION OF WINES. 



The adulteration of wine has been practiced from a very early date 

 in those countries where the consumption is large. It has increased 

 in amount and in the skillfulness of its practitioners until at the pres- 

 ent day it requires for its detection all the knowledge and resour- 

 ces wbich chemical science can bring to bear upon it, and even then 

 a large part doubtless escapes detection. It must be remembered, how- 

 ever, that in Europe the definition of adulteration has rather a wide 

 scope, including the addition of substances which are simply diluents. 

 The Paris Laboratory considers as a fraud u the addition of any sub- 

 stance for the purpose of gain which changes the composition of the 

 natural wine." In ^Germany, on account of the northern situation of 

 the country, it is permitted to the wine-growers in bad years, when the 

 grapes contain a relatively high percentage of acid and a low percent- 

 age of sugar, to make use of pure sugar as an addition to the must, 

 which addition is not considered as an offense against the adulteration 

 laws, so long as the product is sold as " wine" simply. The amount 

 of water added with the sugar must not be greater than twice the weight 

 of the former, and the product must not be offered for sale as " natural 

 wine." 



By far the greater part of the adulteration carried on in the Euro? 

 pean countries consists of this addition of water (mouillaf/e) and sugar 

 (sucrage}. Such wines result from the methods of manufacture already 



