FABRICATION OF WIXE-VIXEGAR. 170 



termed bouquet or flower, the cenanthic ether found in every wine 

 forming so to say the keynote in the harmony of the odoriferous 

 substances constituting the bouquet. In the conversion of wine 

 into vinegar these bouquet substances are also changed in such a 

 manner that bodies distinguished by a characteristic odor are 

 formed. Furthermore, wine contains glycerin, a series of non- 

 volatile organic acids ; tartaric, malic, succinic acids etc., and 

 finally the so-called extractive substances. What change these 

 bodies undergo is not accurately known, but all of them are very 

 likely subject to certain modifications because a smaller quantity 

 of extractive substances and of non-volatile acids is found in the 

 vinegar than in the original wine. The following table shows the 

 composition of wine and of the vinegar formed from it : 



Wine contains Wine-vinegar contains 



Water, Water, 



Ethyl alcohol, Ethyl alcohol (none or very little), 



Other alcohols, Other alcohols (changed), 



Glycerin, Glycerin (less ?), 



Acetic acid (traces), Acetic acid (much newly formed), 



Tartaric acid, Tartaric acid (less). 



Tartar, Tartar (less), 



Malic acid, Malic acid (less), 



Succinic acid, Succinic acid (less), 



Tannin, Tannin (changed), [changed), 



(Enanthic ether, CEnanthic ether (changed and un- 



Bouquet substances, Bouquet substances 



Extractive substances, Extractive " > changed, 



Coloring substances. Coloring " 



Acetic ether and other) newly 

 compound ethers / formed. 



The above comparison shows the thorough modification wine 

 undergoes in being converted into vinegar, and that the resulting 

 product must have a bouquet or flower having a certain connec- 

 tion with that of the wine. 



Before entering upon a description of the various methods of 

 fabricating wine-vinegar it may be mentioned that an actually 

 fine product can only be obtained by a slow process of acetifica- 

 tion, numerous experiments having shown that wine treated by 

 the quick process yields a product very poor in bouquet. 



