250 GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE-MAKING. 



late the addition of sugar as far as possible according to the quan- 

 tity of other parts. 



It is, indeed, very much to be regretted that as yet we know 

 but little of this. Each season changes here the proportion. 

 Wise would it therefore be to consider the weight of must in 

 good seasons, and to regulate the adding of sugar by the must- 

 scale. 



Various observations show to us that the standard of acids of 

 the wine frequently affects its price more than that of the sugar 

 and alcohol. In a southern climate, where the larger amount of 

 sugar covers more the small quantity of vegetable acids, a mis- 

 proportion of these ingredients is rarely thought of. In north- 

 ern climates, however, the acids frequently prevail, for the simple 

 reason that the cool and damp weather of the summer, with but 

 little heat from the sun, retards the sugar formation. In very 

 unfavorable seasons, therefore, the inferior wine is, apart from the 

 main ingredient the water, chiefly composed of acids ; and these 

 predominate in such a degree over sugar and alcohol that, after 

 extracting the acids from the wine, almost nothing remains. By 

 such action on these wines, nothing, therefore, is to be gained. 

 Different would it be if, in a must with predominating acids, suf- 

 ficient sugar be contained (no matter whether formed by vegeta- 

 tion or artificially added). Here a reduction of acids always op- 

 erates to benefit. This may be done, 



1. By deadening with chalk, or, 



2. By properly unsliming (purifying) the must at the right 

 time, this slime containing, as it seems, mainly those unperfected 

 acids that rise in connection with the slimy particles. At least, 

 observations have proven that, by acting thus, such a reduction 

 of acids takes place that the skimmed wine thereby improved 

 considerably. 



The quantity of the acids to be reduced can not be exactly 

 given, as it has always to remain in proportion to the other wine 

 ingredients. 



At an exhibition held in 1849 by the "Badensche Landwirih- 

 schafdiche Verehi^ (Association for Agricultural Purposes), a wine 

 improved by this method by Mr. Von Babo was acknowledged to 

 be the finest of the white wines of the season ; and says this gen- 

 tleman about his proceeding : 



I added so much sugar to the must (before the fermentation) 

 until the scale of Oechslc showed 98 to 100 degrees. The sugar 

 used was pure white loaf. That such a procedure does not im- 

 pair the durability of a wine, I might prove by a sample of supe- 

 rior wine of the vintage of 1847, which stood the test perfectly 

 up to the present time (1860). 



I had also to defend myself against many charges of having 

 given, too much publicity of the secret to the uninitiated, which 

 might lead to misuse. The addition of sugar, known as " Chap- 



