WINE AND THE ART OF WINE TASTING. 41 



favor, when the alcoholic fermentation has not been of a thorough char- 

 acter, the development of secondary fermentations. 



SWEET (Dolce, It.; Doux, Fr.). A sweet wine is one in which the 

 sweetness is pleasant, because not excessive, and in harmony with the 

 other principal ingredients, and more particularly with the alcoholic 

 contents. 



" II vino dolce e glorioso 

 Rende Vuomo pingue e carnoso 

 E allargo lo stomaco." 



OVER SWEET (Dolciastro, It.; Doucedtre, Fr.). This is said of wines 

 which are too sweet, or in which the sweetness does not seem to be well 

 combined; that is, the sugar seems to have been lately dissolved in the 

 wine. 



HONEY SWEET, SICKLY SWEET (Dolce smaccato, Melacchino, It.; Doux 

 fade, Mielleux, Fr.). Of white wines when they are very sweet and of a 

 nauseating sweetness, resembling must more than wine. 



Melacchino is perhaps a corruption of melichino, meaning cider vinum 

 ex malis, pomatium of the Latins. 



NEW OR YOUNG WINE ( Vino yiovane, nuovo, It.; Vin jeune, Fr.). A 

 wine which has been made but a short time, and which has not under- 

 gone those changes and transformations in its composition through 

 which it acquires new qualities, due to the new substances which are 

 formed, and which render it more agreeable to the palate, and in the 

 case of fine wines impart bouquet and even seve. 



Another cause of variation in the character of wines is the deposition 

 in whole or in part of various substances on the walls of the cask, or in 

 the form of lees at the bottom, that are thus eliminated from the compo- 

 sition of the wine. 



These young wines, compared with their condition at maturity, are 

 more heavy bodied, more deeply colored (green or acid), more astringent^ 

 and sometimes rough and harsh. 



These wines are, finally, more nutritious than after they become 

 mature; it must not be forgotten, however, that a wine which is too 

 young is somewhat indigestible. 



GREEN (Verde, Verdetto, Bruschetto, It.; Vert, Aigrelet, Fr.). Green 

 wine is not synonymous with young wine, as might be supposed at 

 first; greenness is a quality which a new wine may and generally does 

 have. 



A wine is said to be green when it has an acidity and roughness 

 which, though pronounced, is of such a character that it will disappear 

 with time. 



Thus, incompletely ripened grapes give a green wine, owing to a small 

 quantity of volatile acid and acid salts which they contain, and more 

 especially bi-tartrate of potash. 



Greenness is characteristic of certain new wines, and also of many 

 mature wines produced in northern countries. 



TART (Acidulo, Acidetto, It.; Acidule, Aigrelet, Fr.). Said of a wine 

 possessing an agreeable and sufficient acidity, due to the presence of free 

 tartaric acid and sometimes of carbonic acid, especially when this latter 

 is in such amount as to become free easily, and so affect sensibly the tip 

 of the tongue. 



HARSHLY ACID (Acerbo, It.; Acerbe, Fr.). Expresses a sharp, harsh 

 acidity, like that in sour or unripe fruit, which puts the teeth on edge 



