1&4 



The Grape Culturist. 



carbon, liydrogoii. and oxygen. By 

 their influence during fermentation, 

 the Ices destroy the grouping of these 

 atoms, and develop two entirely new 

 ingredients, carbonic acid and alcohol, 

 which, taken together, contain the same 

 atoms which the sugar contained be- 

 fore decomposition. Besides these the 

 influence of the lees also developes, in 

 very small proi)ortion, however, glyce- 

 rin, electric acid, and stearic acid, so 

 that 100 parts of sugar have been 

 changed b}' fermentation to about 47 

 parts carbonic acid, .00 parts alcohol, 

 3 parts glycerin, electric acid, and 

 stearic acid. Of these ingredients the 

 carbonic acid nearly all evaporates 

 during fermentation, while the greater 

 part of the alcohol remains. It will be 

 nearly correct, if we calculate that a 

 must which contains 20 per cent, of 

 sugar will contain 10 per cent, of alco- 

 hol after complete fermentation. 



Glycerin, which remains after fermen- 

 tation, is that ingredient in wine which 

 gives it that full and smooth taste, 

 which German wine connoisseurs call 

 *'schmalzig." As glycerin, although not 

 subject to change by fermentation, is 

 yet slightly changed by the action of 

 the acids upon it, wine will gradually 

 lose that fullness of which it is the 

 cause, and become harder by age. The 

 acids which the wine contains will, 

 during fermentation, combine with the 

 alcohol, and b}' their action upon it 

 produce those ethereal qualities which 

 we call bouquet. To make the defini- 

 tion of flavor or aroma and bouquet 

 clear to our readers, we will give this 

 subject, which is of great importance 

 in wine making, a little closer attention. 



The flavors or odoriferous (|ualities 



of wine we shall divide into general and 

 peculiar flavors. General flavors are 

 those which impart that smell to a spirit- 

 uous liquid which will make it appear as 

 wine. Peculiar flavors are divided into 

 several groups : 



1. Those flavors which were already 

 present in the must before fermenta- 

 tion, and which are peculiar to certain 

 varieties of grapes and fruits from 

 which the wine has been made. 



2. Those which are developed during 

 fermentation, and which smell different 

 from the flavor of the fruit. 



Those flavors which have their origin 

 in the fruit constitute the nature of the 

 so called aromatic wines ; the flavors 

 which are developed during fermenta- 

 tion, the nature of those which we call 

 bouquet wines. 



• ♦ • 



A New Disease of the Vine has 

 made its appearance in France, about 

 which the France reports as follows : 



" In the Arrondissement of Orange 

 one-third of the vines are already 

 ruined ; of 10,000 hectares of vines 

 which this Arrondissement contains, 

 3, GOO are entirel}^ dead. The disease 

 does not prevail to such an extent in 

 other parts of this region, but never- 

 theless, is bad enough. Sarrians has 

 hardly a healthy vine left ; Roquemaure 

 has lost at least one-half. The disease 

 seems to spread every day, and has not 

 as yet abated in a single instance. It 

 seems to follow the course of the river 

 Rhone, and does not spread as fast 

 into the provinces. It commenced in 

 the neighborhood of Aries, and has so 

 far extended over Pierrelatte, in the 

 province of Drome. Moulimart seems 

 to be threatened next. Its whole ex- 

 tent is so far about 100 kilometres. 

 Although not every place is affected in 

 this entire district, yet it appears in new 

 places every day, from which it spreads 

 rapidly. A kind of aphis, which at- 

 tacks the roots of the vines, is con- 

 sidered the cause of it." 



