Choice of Vines, 59 



in a good soil, will contain 0.0649 of alcohol, the *' Pi- 

 not," which yields 0.1062, is mixed with it. 



,,4th. If the wines are for distillation, preference must 

 be given to the most productive descriptions, and they 

 must be cultivated in rich soils. Weak wines will be 

 obtained, but their greater abundance will more than 

 compensate for their small yield of alcohol ; besides, 

 this poverty will not be an obstacle to the sale of these 

 wines, since, in the process of prolonged distillation, 

 water has to_ be added to those wines which contain 

 over o.io of alcohol, and the buyer has to pay only for 

 the alcohol contained in the wine. What we have just 

 said is clearly proven by the following figures, which 

 we borrow from M. Bouchardet : 



One acre of " Gamais," well cultivated, yields 1,689 

 gallons of wine, containing 0.048 of alcohol, or 216 

 gallons of alcohol per acre. 



One acre of " Pinot," well cultivated, will yield 

 528 gallons of wine, containing 0.1062 of alcohol, or 

 56 gallons of alcohol per acre. 



5th. Certain grapes produce wine which remains sweet 

 for the want of ferment ; this defect may be obviated 

 by mixing with them such as produce dry wines. Thus, 

 a too large proportion of the " Grenache" often pro- 

 duces this result, in the South ; if it has too little alco- 

 hol, the defect is corrected by increasing the number of 

 " Pique-Poule " plants, in the South, and of " Pinots " 

 in the North. If the wine contains much lees, and is 

 liable to sour, or turn to vinegar, those descriptions 

 which contain much tannin are mixed with it ; such as 

 the Mourvedre, in rich soils ; the brown " Fourca" in 

 the dry soils of the South ; the Merlot of the Gironde 



