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Heavy sweet wines are made of grape must showing an acidity 

 of 3 to 4 pro mille. expressed as sulphuric acid, or 4*6 to 6 as tartaric 

 acid. 



Brandies of the best kind are geiierally^made of wines rather 

 high in natural acidity, and manufactured from must going 6 to 9 

 pro mille. as sulphuric acid, or 9'2 to 13*8 as tartaric acid. 



Should the acidity fail to come up to the standard desirable 

 for the class of wine to be manufactured, it is not only permissible 

 but advisable to supplement the difference by : 



1st. An adequate addition of pure crystals of tartaric acid. 



For this purpose every 1 per mille. may be calculated as lib. 

 per 100 gallons of must. Thus, if a shiraz or a malbec shows 5 per 

 cent, of must acidity, calculated as tartaric acid, it is desirable, to 

 bring that must up to 7 per cent., to add 21bs. of tartaric acid 

 crystals for every 100 gallons. 



For that purpose it is best to sprinkle the acid crystals over 

 the grapes as they come out of the crusher. 



The tartaric acid then combines with the potash salts in the 

 must, and, after it has directed its influence in a beneficial manner 

 during the course of fermentation, it settles down as tartar. 



Some wine makers prefer, when it is found necessary to raise 

 the degree of acidity of a must, to use a mixture in equal parts of 

 cream of tartar and of tartaric acid. The resulting wine is less 

 astringent and raw. 



The addition of tartaric acid to made wine fails, it is obvious, 

 to have a beneficial influence on the fermentation, and imparts to 

 the wine a raw and acerb taste. 



Other means besides the use of tartaric acid are followed by 

 some wine makers in order to bring their grape must up to the 

 desired standard of acidity, and that is, 



Lack of acidity can also be corrected by : 



2nd. By an admixture of second crop grapes. 

 3rd. By early picking. 



One more word on the question of acidity in relation to must 

 and wine, and that is, that authors generally, when treating of the 

 acidity in made wine, refer to it in terms of sulphuric acid. The 

 rule given above will enable anyone to alter it to tartaric acid, if so 

 desired. 



Without the acids, wine would be a mere mixture of spirits 

 and water, of a dull leaden colour, without any flavour or bouquet, 

 and almost tasteless to the palate. The presence of natural acids in 

 wine gives it, on the other hand, a brilliant and sparkling appear- 

 ance, owing to their action on the colouring ma.tter in wine ; besides, 

 by combining with the alcohol, they create those penetrating and 

 delicate ethers which have very appropriately been called the 



