WHAT IS WINE? 
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Must contains Wine contains 
ferment oils 
albumenoid substances' 
vegetable mucus 
colouring matter 
tannin 
fatty oil 
essential oils 
extractives 
mineral substances 0*15 to 0‘6 
Most of the above given substances are contained in every 
wine, although in very variable proportion, while some of them 
are found only in certain kinds ; such, for example, as colour- 
ing matter, tannin, racemic acid, formic acid, aldehvd, &c. &c. 
The character of a wine will, of course, depend upon the 
relative proportions of all the various constituents present, and 
a glance at the long list of substances found will suffice to show, 
that their intermixture in various proportion may readily give 
rise to an almost infinite variety. Some of these substances 
admit of accurate quantitative estimation, and their relation to 
certain characters of the wine it is thus, to a great extent, 
within the power of chemical analysis to determine. Many of 
them, however, do not as yet admit of being thus estimated ; 
and, even if we are content with simply showing their presence, 
it is frequently necessary to operate on large quantities of the 
wine. Those constituents of a wine (as the alcohol, sugar, 
acids, mineral constituents, &c.) on which its physiological 
action chiefly depends admit of accurate estimation. Chemical 
analysis will, therefore, give us valuable information regarding 
its dietetic and medicinal qualities, and will show us its 
strength, as well as whether it is pure and sound, or the 
.reverse, and whether genuine or factitious. On the other hand, 
most of the constituents upon which the quality of the wine — i.e. 
taste, and therefore market value — depends, are among those not 
admitting of accurate estimation. Chemical analysis alone, 
therefore, will afford, generally speaking, little or no information 
to guide us in this respect. 
In entering upon a closer examination of their various con- 
stituents, it will be well to bear in mind the distinction, pre- 
viously given, between the natural wine on the one hand and 
fortified or brandied wine on the other. 
Pure, natural wine, is the fermented juice of the grape, with- 
out any addition or subtraction. Such a wine, when made of 
good ripe grapes and in favourable seasons, will exhibit all tbe 
vinous qualities in the highest perfection, and with the most 
complete concentration of the various constituents of the must. 
Not having been diluted by addition, or suffered loss by 
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