CHAPTEE XXIV. 



ODORIFEROUS CONSTITUENTS OF WINE. 



A FEW years ago it seemed as if the cause of the 

 multiplicity of agreeable odours diffused by wine 

 would long remain enveloped in obscurity ; but happily 

 light has been shed upon this subject, and although 

 we are still far from being able to say with certainty 

 this or that kind of wine owes its peculiar character 

 to such a substance, we have at least a satisfactory 

 acquaintance with much that we wish to know. The 

 attempt has often been made to separate the actual 

 peculiar odoriferous ingredient out of aromatic wine. 

 Since, however, we know that of the most important 

 by weight of these odoriferous ingredients ojooth 

 only appears in wine, this plan may be given up, 

 although Faure tried to carry it out eight years ago, 

 by distilling 500 grammes of wine, and out of 4 or 5 

 grammes of the first destillate kept as cool as possible, 

 endeavouring to separate the odoriferous constituents. 

 Even were a minimum of the ingredients which diffuse 

 aroma to be thus obtained, this is not the most suitable 

 manner for discriminating their nature. 



Th^JfcCjaJlfiA fy&$ p [1 a are those which have shed 

 most light upon this subject, they being ethereal oils, 



