INCOMBUSTIBLE CONSTITUENTS. 293 



during the combustion of tartaric acid must be de- 

 ducted, is as follows : In 100 parts of Rhine it varies, 

 according to Diez, between 0*28 and 11 ; that is, from 

 |th to Toth per cent. "We get, therefore, as an average 

 o-28-t.o-ii___Q.|c^ agreeing exactly with the estimate 

 given of eleven kinds of Rhine wine (p. 291). Cham- 

 pagne gives somewhat less, 0'16 per cent. Bordeaux 

 Sauterne 0'19, equalling Rhine wine. Roussillon 

 had the largest amount = 0'6 per cent. Benicarlo 

 yielded 0*5 per cent. Both wines are rich in tartar, 

 and must therefore leave a good deal of carbonate of 

 potass in the ash. 



The influence of the incombustible ingredients of 

 wine has been spoken of already in several places. 

 Most of them have no great effect upon the taste ; 

 potash is the most important, as it saturates a part of 

 the tartaric acid, and remains in a state of solution. 

 But tartrate and phosphate of lime, together with the 

 small amount of common and other salts in- the wine, 

 have no great influence upon its flavour, colour or 

 smell. As distinctive marks of the genuineness of 

 the wines, they are of the greatest value. Let any one 

 who wishes to convince himself whether a particular 

 wine is adulterated or not, direct his attention to this 

 point, and compare the ash with that of a genuine 

 wine of the same kind as that under examination. 



