WINE AND THE ART OF WINE TASTING. 



WINE AND THE ART OF WINE TASTING. 



By G GRAZZI-SONCINI. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Wine is simply the juice or must of the grape after it has undergone 

 the process of fermentation.* This may be considered as the most 

 natural and exact definition that can he given of it. It is the definition 

 accepted by the law. 



On account of the prevalence of sophistications and the considerable 

 amount of wine that is now made from dried grapes and other saccha- 

 rine fruits, a more particularized definition of wine is now given ; it may 

 be formulated as follows: 



By wine is understood that liquid which is obtained by the alcoholic 

 fermentation of the juice or must of fresh grapes. This must may be 

 fermented in contact or not with the pomace or solid portion of the 

 grapes, without, however, the addition of any extraneous substance or 

 even of substances chemically the same as those that the grapes them- 



*Although as Gautier writes, "Wine is a very complex body, and so delicate that the 

 work of chemists, so far, has been but an outline of what there is to do in the study of 

 it," I think it will be useful, because it will give a more complete idea of the subject of 

 our remarks, to give a list of the principal components of grapes, or must, and of wine: 



A. SOLID BODIES. 



Stems: Lignose Tannin Albuminoids Organic salts and acids Mineral salts and 

 acids Chlorophyll Gummy matters Phosphates Potash, lime, magnesia, silica. 



Skins: Cellulose (Enocyanin (Enorubin Tannin Cream of Tartar Catechin 

 Quercite (?) Waxy matters, ferment germs Etherous and aromatic principles Nitrog- 

 enous substances Phosphates Potash, lime, magnesia, iron, silica. 



Pulp: Cellular parenchyma Nitrogenous substances Cream of tartar Gum, pectin, 

 dextrin (?) Gases, nitrogen, carbonic acid Divers salts. 



Seeds: Lignose Fatty matters Nitrogenous substances Gum Starch Phosphates 

 Divers salts Tannin. 



B. LIQUID BODIES. 



Water Glucose Levulose Divers nitrogenous substances Saccharose, dulcite 

 Cream of tartar Tartrate of calcium Tartaric, malic, and racemic acids Halogen 

 acids (traces) Ammoniacal salts and organic derivatives Phosphates, sulphates, 

 nitrates Potash, lime, magnesia. 



C. GASEOUS BODIES. 

 Carbonic anhydride Nitrogen Hydrogen sulphide. 



ELEMENTS OF WINE (RED WINE). 



Water Alcohols: ethylic, propylic, butylic (amylic?), caproic, oenanthilic, caprylic, 

 pelargonic, capric. 



Higher alcohols Glycerine Isobutyl Mannite Glucose Levulose Inosin Gum 

 Pectic matters Essential oils Furfurol Aldehyde Acetal. 



Ethers: acetic, propionic, butyric, valerianic, caproic, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic. 



Acids: carbonic, acetic, propionic, butyric, caproic, oenanthylic, caprylic, capric, lauric, 

 myristic, tartaric, racemic, succinic, malic, taiinic, sulphuric, nitric, phosphoric, silicic, 

 chlorhydric, fluorhydric. These acids are either free or combined with the bases: potash, 

 soda, lime, magnesia, alumina, iron oxide, manganese, ammonia, volatile bases of the 

 pyridic series. 



Albuminoids Coloring matters. 



