WINE AND THE ART OF WINE TASTING. 53 



hand, has found potassic acetate. In the secondary fermentation of 

 "vins tournes," there is a formation of acetic acid, and more especially 

 of lactic and tartronic acids. 



A wine attacked by this disease may be considered as lost; however, 

 at the start it may be useful to try the addition -of tannin and cream of 

 tartar, then pasteurization and fining. The disease, if not arrested, is 

 followed by putrid fermentation. 



PUTRLD FERMENTATION. This disease attacks the organic matter in 

 the wine, destroys it, and gives rise to repulsive tastes and odors. 



In the incipiency of this fermentation, the repulsive odor and taste 

 are not very marked, and a cure may be attempted by heavy sulphur- 

 ing, followed by filtration through charcoal, which acts as a disinfectant. 



FAT (Grasso, It.; Gras, Fr.). I will say now that this defect should 

 not be confounded with that of viscosity or greasiness, though at first 

 view it might be supposed to be the same in a moderated form. 



The defect of "fatness" is rarely found in generous wines, but is 

 usually confined to weak ones, and is not due, like " greasiness," to a 

 fermentation, but to the presence of a certain amount of albuminoid 

 substances, of gum, mucilage, imperfect sugars, etc., which impart to the 

 wine a character which, when it is tasted, leaves a more or less marked 

 impression of something glutinous; an impression which persists for 

 some time, leaving, as it were, a pasty feeling in the mouth. 



" Fat " wines are indigestible, and hard to keep during the hot season, 

 as they are extremely liable to secondary fermentations. The wines in 

 which this defect is usually found, are those grown on moist plains, 

 which are naturally fertile, or made so by the addition of nitrogenous 

 manures, as, for instance, young vineyards where the effect of manur- 

 ing at the planting of the vines has not worn off. 



This defect may be avoided entirely, or to a great extent, by a thorough 

 and prolonged aeration of the must, or by the addition of alcohol or 

 tannin* to the wine. 



Sometimes this defect, when not too pronounced, will partly or wholly 

 disappear after the wine has gone through its slow spring fermentation. 



GREASY, Viscous (Filante, Grassume, It.; Filante, Graisse, Fr.). 

 Terms used of a wine which has lost part of its fluidity and which, when 

 poured into a glass, falls without noise, or like oil; it has that viscid, 

 mucilaginous look which reminds one of white of egg. 



This malady is caused by a micro-organism. A greasy wine, as the 

 malady progresses, loses its fragrance and becomes bitterish; its color 

 becomes dull and tends to turn brown; finally, it loses its natural trans- 

 parency and brightness. At first it is flat, vapid, and distasteful; and 

 finally, rancid and sour by the formation of lactic acid. 



*The addition of a little tanninized wine is better than the direct addition of tannin. 



Tanninized wine may be prepared thus: Take a small caskj holding, for example, about 25 

 gallons; fill it with a strong wine, or one made so by the addition of 1 or 1*4 gallons of alcohol 

 of 94 C.; into the wine put about 35 pounds of grape seeds which have not been fermented. 

 For the first few days the wine should be stirred from time to time, and then left to itself. 

 After about ten days the liquid part is drawn off, and is then a wine heavily charged with 

 tannin, which serves excellently for the purpose above noted; for that purpose a dose of 

 1 or 2 gallons of the tanninized wine to 100 of the wine to be treated is about the right 

 proportion. 



If a tanninized wine is needed for the defecation of the must, it is prepared thus: Take 

 5 gallons of alcohol and 10 gallons of wine, put in a small cask, and add about 18 or 20 

 pounds"of seeds, and treat as in the former case; 1 or 2 gallons of this is sufficient to 

 thoroughly defecate 100 gallons of must. 



If fresh seeds are not to be had, dry ones may be used, providing they are in good con- 

 dition, that is to say, providing they have been dried in the shade, kept in a dry place, 

 and have not become moldy. 



