WINE. 



proportions to one another of the neceflary principles. The 

 iaccharine and fermentative principles, tartar and water, are 

 the principles (as explained under the article Fermentation) 

 cfleutial to the produftion of wine. The fweeteft grapes do 

 not always make the bell wine, nor actually contain the 

 greateft proportion of fugar, at leaft of real fugar, fuch as 

 is proper for the formation of alcohol. An experienced 

 tafte, it is faid, can readily diftinguifh between a really fac- 

 (har'int grape and ^ftucet grape ; and confequently pronounce 

 k priori whether it be adapted for making good wine or not. 

 Pure faccharine matter, however, will not ferment alone, 

 but requires a certain proportion of other principles to put 

 it in motion. When the mull contains too large a proportion 

 of water, the fermentative procefs is feeble, and the wine is 

 confequently bad. The ancients obviated this, as we before 

 mentioned, by boiling the mud ; a praftice ftill fometimes 

 followed in the northern diflrifts, efpecially in wet feafons. 

 The fame objeft is gained alfo by drying the fruit ; and 

 fometimes by the introduftion of hme into the vat. The 

 juice of the grape always contains a certain proportion of 

 tartar. This quantity is greater in general as the quantity 

 of fugar is lefs. If the juice contains too large a propor- 

 tion of fugar in relation to the tartar, it is cullomary to add 

 a portion of the latter principle. On the contrary, if the 

 faccharine principle be deficient and the tartar in excefs, 

 ■fugar is to be added. 



The fermentative procefs is accompanied by the produc- 

 tion of heat, by the difengagement of carbonic acid gas, 

 and the formation of alcohol. Thefe phenomena have been 

 already difcuffed under the article above alluded to. An- 

 other important circumftance, however, which takes place 

 during this procefs, is the celourmg of the mull. The 

 juice of the black grape, as well as of the white, is nearly 

 colourlefs ; and if the fermentation be not permitted to take 

 place in contaft with the hulks or marc, a colourlefs wine is 

 obtained in all cafes. The colour of red wines is derived 

 from the marc, by permitting the wine to ferment in contaft 

 with itj the colouring principle of the marc or huflcs being 

 foluble in alcohol. Hence, when alcohol begins to be de- 

 veloped by the fermentative procefs, it a£ls upon the colour- 

 ing principle and diflblves it, and the mud becomes coloured. 

 The following are the principal fafts connefted with this part 

 of the fubjeft. The wine is more coloured the longer the 

 fermentative procefs is continued, and vice verfd. The wine 

 is more coloured in proportion as the fruit is more ripe and 

 I lefs watery. Wine obtained by preffure is more coloured 

 I than other wine, and laftly wines manufaftured in the fouth 

 r are in general deeper coloured than thofe produced in more 

 [ northern diftrifts. 



i Great attention and praftical knowledge are required in 

 I managing the fermentation properly, as on this important 

 ! procefs depend entirely the future qualities of the wines. 

 I The fame fruit in different feafons, and from various caufes, 

 ; requires to be managed differently ; and almoft every kind 

 i of wine requires a different, and, in fome cafes, even an 

 I oppofite, mode of treatment. Thus the fine bouquet of Bur- 

 : gundy is completely diffipated by a too violent or lafling 

 ! fermentation ; while, on the contrary, the fermentation of the 

 I ftrong wines of Languedoc, celebrated chiefly for the quan- 

 jtity of alcohol which they contain, ought to be long and 

 I complete. In Champagne, as we formerly mentioned, they 

 I coUeft the fruit deftined to form their white wines while moid 

 ' with dew or mill : on the contrary, in the manufaifture of their 

 I red wines, they prefer fruit as dry as pofTible. In the for- 

 imcr cafe, the fermentative procefs is fo languid, as often to 

 I require a gentle heat ; in the latter, fo violent, as to require 

 to be moderated. Weak wines opght in gena-al to be fer- 



mented in cafl<3 ; ftrong wines in the vat. No general rules, 

 however, can be given that will apply in all inflances ; but 

 the proceffes muft be varied according to circumflances, and 

 the judgment of the manufafturer. 



The fermentative procefs, for obvious reafons, is moft 

 difficult to manage in the northern diftrifts, where the fruit 

 is more imperfeft. To encourage the procefs, they fome- 

 times introduce a little warm mult to the bottom of the vat 

 by means of a long funnel. They alfo agitate it frequently, 

 and to preferve a due degree of temperature, cover the vat 

 with blankets, or heat the room artificially. 



The theory or rationale of the fermentative procefs has 

 been explained, as far as it is known, under the article Fer- 

 mentation, before alluded to ; we fhall therefore pafs it over 

 entirely here, and confine our attention to praftical points 

 only. 



A mofl material point in the manufafture of wines is to 

 know the precife moment when the fermentative procefs has 

 been carried far enough, and the means neceflary to prevent 

 its getting farther than this point. In the wine countries al- 

 moft every nianufa£lurer boafts of his knowledge in thefe 

 particulars, and often adopts different methods. Chaptal 

 lays down the following rules to be attended to. 



1. The wine ought to ferment fo much the lefs time as it 

 contains lefs faccharine matter. Thus the light wines of 

 Burgundy require to ferment no longer than from fix to 

 twelve hours. 



2. The muft ought to ferment a lefs time in the vat when it 

 is intended to retain the carbonic acid gas, and make fparkling 

 wines. In this cafe, the muft is feldom left longer in the vat 

 than twenty-four hours before it is put into caflis ; and fre- 

 quently it is introduced into the caflcs as foon as it is fepa- 

 rated from the fruit ; by thefe means the fermentation is 

 checked, and the carbonic acid gas prevented from efcaping. 



3. The fermentation ought to be of ihorter duration, in pro- 

 portion as it is the objeft to obtain wines more free from colour. 

 This (hould be, therefore, particularly attended to in the ma- 

 nufafture of thofe wines where the abfence of colour is an 

 elFential requifite. 



4. The fermentative procefs is more aftive in warm wea- 

 ther, and when the mafs is large, &c. than under the oppo- 

 fite circumttances ; and therefore, ceteris paribus, is fooner 

 completed. 



5. When the objeft is to preferve to the wine the origin^ 

 perfumed flavour of the grape, the fermentation requires to 

 be checked fooner than under ordinary circumftances. 



6. On the contrary, the fermentation requires to be con- 

 tinued longer in proportion as the muft is more thick, and 

 the faccharine matter more abundant. 



7. It will alfo require to be longer when the objeft is to 

 manufafture wines for ditlillation. 



8. It will be longer in cold weather, and efpecially if the 

 fruit has been gathered on a very cold day. 



9. Laftly, it will be longer in proportion as it is the ob- 

 jeft to make a deeper coloured wine. 



Thefe principles fteadily kept in view will perhaps be fuf- 

 ficient, with a little praftice, to enable any perfon of ordi- 

 nary knowledge and powers of obfervation to decide upon 

 the important points in queftion. 



Great care is requifite in the preparation of the cafks for 

 receiving the wine. When they are new, they will fpoil its 

 flavour if not prevented. For this purpofe, boihng-water, 

 holding fait in folution, is introduced into them, which is 

 frequently agitated, and permitted to remain in them a long 

 time. After this they are to be wafhed out with a portion 

 of boiling muft in a ftate of fermentation, or fometimes with 

 a little wine, &c. If the caflce are old but fweet, the top is 

 2 merely 



