332 SUBSTANCES FOUND TO POSSESS 



fermentation, and the spirit distilled off, the bodies 

 which impart odour must either be decomposed, or 

 contained in the destillate. 



According to Faber * the bouquet of wine is much 

 improved by ethereal oil, which is found in the vine 

 blossoms, and best imparted to the wine by collecting 

 the blossoms which fall when shaken, drying them 

 carefully, and putting a little packet filled with them 

 into the must or, by distilling the blossoms with 

 alcohol, and adding a little of the destillate to the wine. 

 This method was recommended by Linnaeus, on the 

 ground that the flavour of a Smyrnian wine had been 

 much improved by it. The Greek wines, according 

 to Faber, generally have ethereal oil of vine blossoms 

 added to improve their bouquet. 



In speaking of the odoriferous ingredients of wine 

 and their origin, ferment oils must be mentioned, 

 although neither their properties nor origin are ac- 

 curately known. They teach us, however, to direct 

 our attention to something besides fatty or other 

 acids in combination with oxide of ethyl or other such 

 like substances. 



Eiichner first spoke of such ferment oils. He 

 crushed the plant Gentiana centaurea, let it stand 

 some time in water, and then distilled the liquid, 

 whereby an oil was obtained differing entirely from 

 that obtained by distilling the fresh plant with 

 water. 



* Polyt. Centralbl. 1854, s. 1533. 



