64 



The Grape CultuHst. 



animal glues (ising-glass or white of 

 eggs) to clarify it ? And this they call 

 "unadulterated, natural wine !" 



Those same people, who zealously 

 oppose every addition of sugar to sour 

 must, are fond of sparkling wine, al- 

 though the addition of cane sugar and 

 alcohol to these is a well established 

 fact. To their coffee and tea, — also 

 products of nature, — they add water 

 and sugar without stint, but the must 

 which has been neglected by nature, 

 dare not have anything added. It 

 would be easy to show these zealots, 

 that they interfere with nature at ev- 

 ery step, that they aid nature in al- 

 most ever}^ act of their lives, that they 

 hardly receive anything from nature 

 and consume it, without artificial 

 changes by them. Only the juice of 

 the gi'ape, which, especially here in 

 America, needs rational improvement 

 so much, must be an exception to the 

 rule. But enough of this I We will 

 " take up the regular order of busi- 

 ness." 



TREATMEXT OF THE MUST. 



We have already seen, that must, 

 or the juice of the grape, contains 

 three very important ingredients, 

 Sugar, acid and ferment. The pro- 

 portions of these ingredients must of 

 course greatly vary, according to the 

 variety of grapes, location and soil on 

 which they are grown, their ripeness, 

 etc. Nevertheless we find that a pe- 

 culiar taste has been developed in all 

 countries where wine is produced, and 

 which makes it possible to fix a cer- 

 tain normal condition between the 

 alcohol and acid which the must 

 should attain, to make a palatable 

 wine for those who drink it. In draw- 



ing a comparison between the Ameri- 

 can and German taste, we think it 

 will differ about as follows : 



For Americans, 14 per cent. Alco- 

 hol, 4-10 per cent. acid. 



For Germans, 10 per cent. Alcohol, 

 G-10 per cent. acid. 



Average proportion, 12 per cent. 

 Alcohol, 5-10 per cent. acid. 



To produce 12 per cent, alcohol, 

 the must should contain at least 20 

 per cent, sugar, which would be 

 equal to 1.005 or 95 degrees of spe- 

 cific gravity on Oechsle's must scale. 

 If the sugar alone determined the 

 specific gravity, 83 degrees would be 

 sufficient to make 20 per cent, of su- 

 gar, but as the ferment of the acids 

 and several other ingredients also 

 help to increase its gravity, to about 

 the amount of 21 per cent., the above 

 proportions are required. We find, 

 however, that such a must, instead of 

 showing 95 degrees on Oechsle's 

 scale, only shows about 70 degrees 

 which is equal to an actual amount of 

 sugar of 13J per cent., and only gives 

 8^ per cent, alcohol. 



A wine, however, containing so lit- 

 tle alcohol, is not alone flat, but also 

 liable to spoil, the ferment has only 

 been partially dissolved, is yet dis- 

 pensed in the wine, and subjects it 

 to continual changes. What, then, 

 is to be done ? Shall we sweeten our 

 tea and coffee, but leave the must as 

 nature has produced it ? God forbid. 

 It is written, '*'Thou shalt improve the 

 talent thy master has given thee." 

 We, therefore, add as much sugar as 

 we think it needs, to make a wine 

 which will "gladden the heart of 

 man," instead of a spiritless muddle 

 that disgraces the name of ivine. 



