WINE AND THE ART OF WINE TASTING. 39 



DENSE, PULPY (Carnoso, Polputo, Maccherone, It.; Charnu, Pulpeux, 

 Lourd, Fr.). Expressive of a wine that has what one might almost 

 call a pasty consistency. 



HEAVY, COARSE (Grave, Gravone, Pesante, Capitoso,It.', Lourd, Gros, 

 Pesant, Capiteux, Fr.). Wines which have much body and little alco- 

 hol, and which, even when drunk in small quantities, go to the head 

 and weigh on the stomach. 



CLEAN (Franco, It.; Franc, Fr.). Said of a wine which does not 

 leave the slightest suspicion of any taste indicating unsoundness, or of 

 any defect due to the bad condition of the grapes from which it was 

 made, or to neglect or improper handling of the wine. 



HARMONIOUS (Armonico, It.; Harmonique, Fr.). Well constituted. 

 This is said of a wine when its constituents are in exactly the proper 

 proportions, well balanced and blended, forming a perfect whole, which 

 is at the same time pleasing and satisfactory. 



WINE THAT ENDS WELL ( Vino che finisce bene, It.; Vin qui finit bien, 

 Fr.). This is an expression used by the taster to define an impression 

 that remains for a certain time after drinking a fine wine; it means a 

 wine in which the constituents are harmonious, and remain so even after 

 the wine has passed from the mouth, impressing the senses with noth- 

 ing but pleasing sensations to the end. These sensations continue even 

 after the wine has been swallowed, insomuch that one might almost say 

 that it wished to prolong the pleasure of the drinker by a fresh visit to 

 the organs of taste. 



WINE THAT ENDS QUICKLY (Vino che finisce presto, It.; Vin qui finit 

 vite, Fr.). Wine that leaves but an ephemeral sensation in the mouth; 

 that is to say, almost as soon as the wine is swallowed all trace of it is 

 gone, and the palate, tongue, and stomach seek in vain to recall its 

 character, flavor, bouquet all have gone, all have disappeared. 



WINE THAT ENDS BADLY ( Vino che finisce male, It.; Vin qui finit mal, 

 Fr.). A wine that after swallowing leaves a disagreeable taste, bitter, 

 woody, etc., in the mouth. 



DELICATE (Delicato, It.; Delicate, Fr.). A wine to be delicate must be 

 perfectly harmonious, soft, and agreeable. 



FINE, OR HIGH QUALITY (Fino, It.; Fin, Fr.). A wine that unites a 

 natural delicacy with an exceptionally agreeable flavor and delicious 

 bouquet. 



MUTE (Muto, It.; Muet, Fr.). Said of unfermented or only partially 

 fermented wines; they are characterized by a sweetish or gummy taste. 

 They are wines which have been made from musts treated with sulphur- 

 ous anhydride or fortified with alcohol. The wines that are generally 

 made "mute" are white wines that are to be used to sweeten liquors or 

 to increase the sugar contents of new wines, or that are to be used for 

 the manufacture of syrups by concentration in vacuo. 



When a wine is made mute by the use of sulphurous anhydride, the 

 risk is run, if too much is used, of giving the wine, first, a taste of sulph- 

 hydric acid, and afterward more or less pronounced bad flavors due to 

 the sulphates that are formed. 



These wines are kept in cool cellars, where the temperature is as 

 nearly as possible constant, and in strong and well-hooped casks. They 

 ought to be clarified, preferably with gelatine. In order to obtain a 

 perfect clarification, about 8 or 10 grammes of tannin are added to each 



