WINE AND THE ART OP WINE TASTING. 55 



The best means of preventing or arresting the disease consists of the use 

 of tannin, pasteurizing to destroy the bacteria, racking into sulphured 

 casks, and finally the addition of alcohol to the wine. 



Pasteurization is inapplicable in the case of white wines which are 

 destined for the fabrication of champagne, because it not only destroys 

 the bacteria, but also the alcoholic ferments, whose action is necessary 

 to produce the carbonic acid, which renders the wine sparkling. 



At the beginning of the development of the disease, forcible agitation 

 of the wine will restore its clearness and fluidity by the disassociation 

 of the bacteria and the dispersion of the mucilaginous matter which 

 envelops the parasite. 



Agitation, however, must not be looked upon as a curative measure; 

 the results obtained are only temporary, for the cause of the disease, viz.: 

 the bacterium, is neither destroyed nor removed. 



FLAT, WINE FLOWERS (Vino svanito, Svaporato, Fiorito, It.; Vin 

 evanoui, Evapore, Fleuri, Fr.). A wine becomes flat when it remains for 

 some time exposed to the air, as happens in an imperfectly filled or 

 badly bunged cask. In time it becomes covered with " wine flowers," 

 which consists of the Saccharomyces vini, or Mycoderma vini. In either 

 case the wine gradually acquires an unpleasant, somewhat bitterish 

 taste, and loses its strength and bouquet by evaporation, or else the 

 breaking up of the alcohol into water and carbonic acid. This has 

 been called by some one, on account of the products formed, hydro-car- 

 bonic fermentation, and is caused by the Mycoderma vini, which attacks 

 not only the alcohol, but very probably the ethers, succinic acid, and 

 glycerine, as these bodies tend to disappear. 



Although cases do occur in which generous wines are attacked by the 

 Mycoderma vini, still it has a decided preference for young and feeble 

 wines. In old and well-defecated wines it develops with difficulty, per- 

 haps because in these wines the elements necessary for its nourishment 

 (nitrogenous bodies and phosphates) are not found. 



The practice of some wine makers with regard to " wine flowers " is 

 not in accord with that of those who follow a rational system of wine 

 making. They consider only the development of the "flowers," which 

 they look upon almost as a preservative of the wine, whilst the others 

 sustain the necessity of energetically combatting and preventing the 

 increase of the " flowers," because it is not only dangerous in itself, but 

 is almost always accompanied by the Mycoderma aceti, or Diplococcus 

 aceti, which, the moment circumstances become favorable, commence 

 to replace the Mycoderma vini and cause the acetification of the wine. 



When it is thoroughly understood how the " flowers " act it is easy to 

 explain the facts put forward by those who do not consider it dangerous, 

 and also the reasons of those who believe that it should be prevented by 

 all means, and destroyed on its first appearance. 



The presence of the " flowers " causes such an absorption of oxygen 

 and development of heat and carbonic acid, as to prevent the growth of 

 any other organism. 



Ducleaux has calculated that 80 grammes of alcohol contained in a 

 litre of wine of 10 per cent, needs for its transformation into water and 

 carbonic acid more than 160 grammes, or 100 litres of, oxygen. 



The conclusions to be drawn from this are evident; they are, that 

 when the cask is well closed, so as to prevent the free entry of air, the 

 diminution of alcohol, caused by the "flowers," is reduced to a mere 



