254 Analysis of Wines from Asia Minor, Palestine^ &fc. 



It will be seen that in all cases except the first, which I con- 

 ceived to be of little importance, I performed two analyses of 

 each specimen ; and I have given both results, that chemists 

 might judge how much dependence is to be placed upon my re- 

 searches. In No. 2 the difference in the amount of alcohol by 

 the two processes amounts to 1-2 per cent. In the other cases, 

 the difference is less ; and it seems to me we are warranted in 

 concluding, that my mean results do not vary more than one per 

 cent, from the truth in any case. And this is near enough for all 

 the purposes for which the analysis was undertaken. 



It appears that in all cases except Nos. 7 and 8, the specific 

 gravity of the wines before distillation was greater than that of 

 water. No. 4, from Lebanon, was much heavier ; in part proba- 

 bly because the juice was concentrated before fermentation, and 

 in part because it is so old. It yields, of course, a large per cent, 

 of solid matter. 



The difference in the results, according to the tables used, is 

 just what we might expect from the different standards assumed 

 by Tralles, Gilpin, and Lowitz, and from the fact that the table 

 of the latter gives the per cent, by weight, whereas all the others 

 give it by measure. Gilpin's tables have been most commonly 

 made the standard, but they convey erroneous conclusions ; that 

 is, as the subject is usually understood, they indicate more alco- 

 hol in fermented liquors than they contain. 



The results which I have now given, justify, it seems to me, 

 the following conclusions. 



In the first place, the grapes of Palestine, Syria, and the Le- 

 vant generally, produce wines as strongly alcoholic as those of 

 any country whose soil and climate are congenial to the vine. 



It has been thought that the great quantity of sugar which 

 must exist in the grapes of those countries, and the heat of the 

 climate, are so unfavorable to fermentation that little or no alco- 

 hol can be produced from them. But here we have ten speci- 

 mens of the common wines of those countries, all of which be- 

 long to the class of the strong wines. It may be thought that 

 the strongest wines were selected by Mr. Van Lennep. But I 

 particularly requested him not to do it, desiring him to send 

 me rather the common wines. And the apprehension which he 

 expressed that they would all be soured before reaching this 



