PART II. 



MANUFACTURE OF CIDERS, FRUIT-WINES, ETC. 

 CHAPTER XXIV. 



INTRODUCTION. 



THE term wine in general is applied to alcoholic fluids which 

 are formed by the fermentation of fruit juices and serve as beve- 

 rages. According to this definition, there may be actually as many 

 kinds of wine as there are fruits whose juices, in consequence of 

 their content of sugar, are capable of vinous fermentation ; and, in 

 fact, besides the apple and pear, there are many other fruits 

 which are likewise applicable to wine-making. Among these 

 may be named currants, gooseberries, mulberries, elderberries, 

 cherries, oranges, dates, pine-apples, raspberries, strawberries, 

 etc. But, in order to make the product from such fruits re- 

 semble the standard wine made from grapes, various ingredients 

 have to be added, as, for instance, an acid, spices, coloring, and 

 an astringent, to replace the extractive matter. The acid gene- 

 rally used is the tartaric, and elderberry and whortleberry juice are 

 used for the coloring, while the water used in the manufacture of 

 wine should in all cases be pure and soft. 



Ripening of fruits. In order to form a clear idea of the pro- 

 cesses which take place during the growth, ripening, and final 

 decomposition of a fruit, it is necessary to refer to the constitu- 

 ents which are already found in an unripe fruit at its first appear- 

 ance. 



Besides water, the quantity of which varies between 90 and 45 

 per cent., fruits contain partly soluble and partly insoluble sub- 

 stances. The juice obtained by pressure contains the soluble con- 

 stituents, such as sugar, gum, tannin, acids, salts, etc., while the 



