28 WINE AND THE ART OF WINE TASTING. 



pressure in this case varies from three to three and one half atmos- 

 pheres. 



STRONGLY EFFERVESCENT (Molto spumante, Spuma forte, It.; Grand 

 mousseux, Fr.). In these the cork is forcibly ejected from the bottle 

 when unwired, and the wine is sufficiently charged with gas to be ex- 

 pelled from the bottle by its own pressure. 



In these wines the pressure approaches or surpasses four atmospheres. 

 The maximum pressure that bottles will stand, without great danger, is 

 about six atmospheres.* 



Either too low or too high a pressure is a serious defect in sparkling 

 wines. If the pressure is too low they do not effervesce; if, on the other 

 hand, the pressure is too great, as in the case of bottles which the French 

 call " recouleuses," there is a ruinous percentage of broken bottles, or if 

 the bottles do not burst the cork is driven out, and most of the wine lost. 



The carbonic acid which is dissolved in these wines, is produced by 

 the fermentation of added sugar, or of a portion of that which the must 

 contained. 



As already stated, wines which have been fermented dry, and not 

 with a view of making them sparkling, can be rendered so afterwards by 

 being charged, at a high pressure and low temperature, with carbonic 

 acid. On this is based the system of Carpene, a system now much used 

 both in Italy and abroad. 



Sparkling wines may be: 



SWEET (Dolci, It.; Doux, Fr.). When the sweetness is decided and 

 due to a large addition of syrup. 



DRY (very slightly sweet) (Semidolci, Dolcigni, It.; Doucedtres, Fr.). 

 When the sweetness is slight or hardly noticeable. 



EXTRA DRY (Secchi, Asciutti, It.; Sees, Fr.). Which the English 

 taste calls for; when there is no trace of a taste of sweetness. 



In various red wines the foam may present different colors, as: 



WHITE (Bianca, It.; Blanche, Fr.). The case usually with old wines. 

 There are, also, in some localities, young red wines of which the foam is 

 white or whitish. 



ROSE (Rosea, It.; Rosee, Fr.). This is the case with lightly colored 

 young wines, and is characteristic, it may be said, of mature wines. 



RED, RUBY (Rossa, Rossa rubino, Vermiglia, It.; Rouge, Vermeille, Fr.). 

 The color of the foam of heavy-bodied, deeply colored young wines. 



ORANGE RED (Rossa granato, It.; Rouge grenat, Fr.). This is a deep 

 vinous red, resembling the color of pomegranates, and is often seen in 

 cutting wines, or those blended with them. 



BLUISH (Turchiniccia, Bleuastra, It.; Bleudtre, Fr.). Seen in wines 

 poor in acid; as in some cutting wines which possess only from 3 to 4 

 per cent in acid. 



BRIGHT, CLEAR (Viva, Brillante, Smagliante, It.; Vive, Brillante, Fr.). 

 When the foam has a clear, crystalline appearance; this is generally 

 seen in generous, young wines of full acidity. 



DULL, DEAD (Poco viva, Morta, It.; Morte, Fr.). The opposite of the 



*As a rule, authors give higher figures for the pressure of the various kinds of cham- 

 pagne than 1 have indicated, but the fact is, that my figures, if not too low, are certainly 

 not too high. Of this, I am assured by Professor Carpene, who, in his experiments with 

 sparkling wines, had occasion to test the pressures of many wines from the best accred- 

 ited foreign and domestic houses. 



