WINE. 



Sometimes a wine highly impregnated with fulphurous acid is 

 prepared, a little of wliich mixed with the reft anfwero the 

 purpofeof burning matches in the caHv. Other fubftances, 

 according to Dr. MaccuUoch, anfwer the fame pnrpofe as 

 Julphuring ; namely, the blaci oxyd of maiiganefe, and parti- 

 cularly the fulphite of potajh. A drachm of which fait is 

 fufRcient for a pipe of wine, and is very efFeAual in counter- 

 afting the fermentative procefs. The theory of thefe pro- 

 ceffes is very obfcure. 



We have before obferved that the mere racking of wines is 

 not fufGcient to render them pure, and various methods are 

 adopted at the racking periods to render this operation more 

 effedlual, and thefe altogether conftitute the procefs termed 

 clarification. 



Lord Bacon mentions a practice among the ancients of 

 putting wine into veffels well Hopped, and letting it down 

 into the fi-a. That this practice is very ancient is manifell 

 from the difcourfe of Plutarch (Quasft. Nat. 27. ) about the 

 efficacy of cold upon muft. 



Different periods, as before -mentioned, are chofen in dif- 

 ferent dillrifts for racking wines. Thus the wines of Her- 

 mitage are racked in March and September, thofeof Cham- 

 pagne about the middle of Oftober, the middle of February, 

 and the latter end of March. If poflible, a ierene and fet- 

 tled ftate of the atmofphere, and a dry and cold day, fhould 

 be chofen for the purpofe, as the wine is always turbid in 

 damp clofe weather, and during the prevalence of foutherly 

 winds. 



In racking wines, it is in general defirable to expofe them 

 as little as poflible to the atmofpheric air. In fome didrifts, 

 a fyphon is employed for the purpofe. In Champagne they 

 ufe a fort of pump. Dr. MaccuUoch recommends that the 

 wine (hould be transferred from one caflc to another by means 

 of a leather hofe, and this method is undoubtedly preferable. 

 For clarifying wines, a great variety of fubftances are em- 

 ployed. Ifinglafs and albumen either from eggs or blood 

 are the moft common ; but gum, ftarch, rice, milk, the 

 (havings of beech-wood, gypfum, fand, &c. are ufcd in dif- 

 ferent wine countries. An ounce of ifinglafs, or about 

 eighteen or twenty whites of eggs, are fufficient for one 

 hundred gallons of wine. 



Two very important circumftances in the praftice of wine- 

 making require yet to be mentioned ; thefe are the medication 

 of wines, and the means of remedying thofe difeafes to which 

 they are liable. 



The medicaiion of wines confifts in altering the colour, 

 the flavour, or the ftrength of any given wine, or in fo mixing 

 two or more together, as to produce a compound differing 

 from, or fuperior to, either. It is difficult to give any gene- 

 ral rules for this purpofe, and the proper management of the 

 proceffes depends chiefly upon the experience and tafte of 

 the maker. 



It generally happens that when two wines are mixed, the 

 fermentative procefs is partially renewed, or the mixture is 

 technically faid to fret, whence the praftice itfelf has derived 

 the name oi fretting In. Mixed wines appear to unite into 

 one durable and homogeneous liquor, only in confequenceof 

 this fermentation. It is therefore defirable, if poffible, to 

 mix wines only at thofe periods when they both ftiew a ten- 

 dency to fretting, which, according to Chaptal, in the wine 

 countries, appears to be at three principal feafons of the 

 year, viz. when the vines begin to {hoot, when they are in 

 flower, and when the fruit begins to acquire colour. The 

 wines being then proportioned according to the fancy or 

 experience of the maker, a ftrong fermentation is excited, 

 which is ilill farther affifted by agitation. The wine thus 

 becomes homogeneous, and fticws no more tendency to far- 



II 



ther change than if it had been originally produced by one 

 operation ; and the repetition of the proceffes of fining and 

 racking renders it perfeft. 



In wine countries, particular wines, diftinguiftied either by 

 their ftrength, harflmefs, colour, or flavour, are often ma- 

 nufaftured for mixing with others, and are applied ac- 

 cording to circumftances. For making fuch wines, dif- 

 ferent fruit and pecuhar management are often reforted to. 

 The ufual faults of wines requiring correftion 3.Te, fweetneft, 

 drynefs bordering on acidity, and excefs or defeft of brifk- 

 nefs. Connefted alfo with this part of the fubjeft are the 

 means of imparting to wine colour, flavour, andflrength, and 

 other remarkable properties. Sweetnefs arifes from the 

 prefence of too much faccharine matter, and may be gene- 

 rally remedied by prolonging the fermentation. On the 

 contrary, when the fermentation has been carried fo far as 

 to decompofe the whole of the fugar, the wine is faid to 

 be dry ; and if the original quantity of fugar has been rather 

 defeftive, it will have a ftrong tendency to become four. 

 The remedy in this cafe is, to add fugar, or fometimes 

 brandy. The modes of enfuring a due degree of bri/inefs 

 in thofe wines intended to poflefs this quahty have been 

 already pointed out. 



Many of the proceffes followed in imparting colour, 

 flavour, firength. Sec. to wines, are unknown to the public, and 

 confined to the cellars of the manufafturer or the merchant. 

 The general principles, however, are fufSciently obvious. 

 The roughnefs and colour of red wines are derived, as we 

 formerly ftated, from the huflcs of the fruit ; and when it is 

 wifhed to impart thefe qualities in a higher degree, the 

 manufafturers fometimes mix a certain portion of wild and 

 high-coloured grapes with the other fruit. At other times, 

 various aftringent and coloured drugs are employed, as 

 catechu, kino, logwood, &c. : popular ingredients are the 

 juices of floes or elderberries. The chips of oak and 

 beech-wood are alfo employed. With refpedl to yellow 

 tints, thefe can be all accurately imitated by means of burnt 

 fugar. As to flavours, in general thofe which are foreign 

 and unufual are commonly unpleafant. Cuftom, however, 

 has reconciled us to many. The ancients, as formerly men- 

 tioned, feem to have been much more accuftomed to arti- 

 ficial flavours than the moderns, and the moft in requeft 

 was the turpentine or relinous flavour, which was imparted 

 by means of chips of fir-wood, a pradlice ftill followed in 

 modern Greece. In Madeira wines, as well as thofe of 

 Xeres and San Lucar, it is the praftice at prefent to ufe 

 fweet and bitter almonds ; hence the nutty flavour of thefe 

 wines. In Egypt, the flower of the vine itfelf has been 

 employed from time immemorial, and is ftill ufed in different 

 wine countries ; its odour is very like that of mignonette, 

 which may be doubtlefs fubiHtuted for it. Rafpberries, 

 orris-root, elder-flowers, worm-wood, and a variety of other 

 fubftances, are employed for a fimilar purpofe. In ufing 

 thefe different articles, the eftabliflied praftice is to fufpend 

 the flavouring ingredients in the caflc a few days during the 

 ftage of infenfible fermentation ; by which means their 

 flavour is retained without a chance of being diffipated. 

 Where the ftrength of wine is deficient, brandy is added, 

 according to circumftances ; and to render the mixture of 

 this more complete, it fliould be added while the procefs 

 of infenfible fermentation is going on. If there be a necef- 

 fity to add it after the wine is completed, it Ihould then be 

 managed by the fretting-in procefs. 



The laft of the circumftances conncdled with wine-making 

 is the means of obviating thofe difeafes to which wines are 

 liable. 



One of the moft common difeafes of weak wines is acidity. 



Strong 



