The times of the year when Wines are obferved to be 
moft prone to ferment and fret, and then to grow 
qually (as it is called,) that is, turbulent and foul, 
are Midfummer and Allhallowtide, when our vint- 
ners are wont to rack them from their grofs lees, ef- 
pecially Rhenilh, which commonly grows fick in 
June, if not racked ; and they chufe to do it in the 
wane of the moon, and fair weather, the wind being 
northerly. 
Having thus fuecinftly recounted the moft remarka- 
ble diftempers of Wines, gueffed at their refpeftive 
caufes, and touched upon the times, it is proper to 
proceed to their ufual remedies •, fuch, at leaft, as 
may be collefted from Wine coopers and vintners ; 
which is the fourth and laft part propofed to be treat- 
ed of. 
To begin therefore with fome of the artifices ufed to 
Wines when yet in muft ; it is obfervable, that tho’, 
to raifing a fermentation in them at that time, there 
is not fo much need of any additional ferment, as there 
is in the wort of ale, beer, hydromel, metheglin, 
and other forts of drinks, familiar to us in England; 
becaufe the juice of the Grape is replenifhed with 
generous fpirits, fufficient of themfelves to begin 
that work ; yet it is ufual in fome countries to put 
quick lime either upon the Grapes, when they are 
prefling, or into the muft ; to the end that, by the 
force and quicknefs of its faline* and fiery particles, 
the liquor may be both accelerated and affifted in 
the working. 
For the fame reafon perhaps, it is, that the Spaniards 
mix with their Wines, while they are yet flowing from 
the prefs, a certain thing they call giefib, which pro- 
bably is a kind of gypfum or plaifter, whereby the 
Wines are made more durable, of a paler colour, and 
pleafanter tafte •, others put into the cafk fhavings of 
Fir, Oak, or Beech, for the fame purpofe. 
Again*, though the firft fermentation fucceeds gene- 
rally well, fo that the whole mafs of liquor is thereby 
delivered from the grofs lee ; yet fometimes it happens 
either through lcarcity of fpirits at firft, or through 
immoderate cold, that fome part of thofe impurities 
remain conful'edand floating therein. 
Now, in this cafe, Wine coopers put into the Wine 
certain things to haften and help its clarification ; fuch 
as being of grofs and vifcous parts, may adhere to the 
floating lee, and finking, carry it'with them to the 
bottom ; of which fort are ifinglafs, and the whites 
of eggs, or fuch as, meeting with the grofler and 
earthy particles of the lee, diflociate and fink them 
by their gravity ; of which kind are the powders of 
alabafter, calcined flints, white marble, roche allum, 
&c. 
The Grecians, at this day, have a peculiar way of 
fpurring nature, in fining and ripening the ftrongeft 
and moft generous Wines ; and this is done by adding 
to them, when they begin to work, a proportionate 
quantity of fulphur and allum *, not (as is very proba- 
ble) to prevent their fuming up to the head, and ine- 
briating, according to the conjefture of that great 
man, the Lord St. Albans ; for, notwithftanding this 
mixture, they caufe drunkennefs as foon, if not fooner 
than other Wines ; nor are men intoxicated with the 
vapours of Wine flying up immediately from the fto- 
mach into the brain ; but only to excite and promote 
fermentation, and haften their clarification that enfues 
thereupon *, the fulphur perhaps helping to attenuate 
and divide thofe grofs and vifcid parts, wherewith 
Greek Wine abounds, and the allum conducing to 
the fpeedier precipitation of them afterwards. And a 
learned traveller relates, that fome merchants put into 
every pipe of their Greek Wine ajill, or thereabouts, 
of the chemical oil of fulphur, in order to preferve it 
the longer clear and found : 
Which, though it is very probable, becaufe the ful- 
phur is known to refift putrefaftion in liquors, yet one 
would decline the ufe of Wines fo preferved, unlefs in 
rime of peftilentia! infection, 1 
But of all ways of the haftehing the clarification and 
ripening of Wine, none feems to be more eafy, or 
./ 
W I N 
lefs noxious, tnan that borrowed from one of the an- 
cients by the Lord Chancellor Bacon ; which is, by 
putting the Wine into vefiels well {topped, and letting 
it down into the lea. 
That this praftice was very ancient, is manifeft from 
that difcourfe of Plutarch, Quaeft. Natur. 27. about 
the efficacy of cold upon muft, whereof he rives this 
reafon. That cold, not fu [fie ring the muft to ferment, 
by fupprefiing the aftivity of the fpirits therein con- 
tained, confeiveth the fweecnefs thereof along time; 
which is not improbable ; becaufe experience teaches, 
that fuch as make their vintage in a rainy feafon, can- 
not get their muft to ferment well in a vault, unlefs 
they caufe great fires to be made near the calks ; the 
rain mixed with the muft, together with the ambient 
cold, hindering the motion of fermentation, which 
arifes chiefly from heat. 
That the fame is frequent at this day alfo, may be 
collected from what Mr. Boyle has obferved in his 
Hiftory of Cold, on the relation of a Frenchman ; 
viz. that the way to keep Wine long in the muft (in 
which the fweetnefs makes many to defire it) is, to tun 
it up immediately from the prels ; and before it begins 
to work, to let down the vefiels, clofely and firmly 
flopped, into a well, or deep river, there to remain 
for fix or eight weeks ; during which time the liquor 
will be fo confirmed in its ftate of crudity, as to re- 
tain the fame, together with its fweetnefs, for many 
months after, without any fenfibie fermentation. 
But it may be objected, How can thefe two fo different 
effefts, the clarification of new Wine, and the con- 
lervation of Wine in the muff, be derived from one 
and the fame caufe, the cold of the Water ? 
But this may be conceived without much difficulty ; 
for it feems not unreafonable, that the lame cold 
which hinders muft from fermenting, fhould yet ac- 
celerate and promote the clarification of V/ine after 
fermentation ; in the firft, by giving a check to die 
fpirit before it begins to move and aft upon the crude 
mafs of liquor, fo that it cannot in a long time after 
recover ftrength enough to work ; in the latter, by 
keeping in the pure and genuine fpirit, otherwife apt 
to exhale ; and rendering the flying lee more prone to 
fubfide, and fo making the Wine much fooner clear, 
fine, and potable. Thus much concerning the helps 
of new Wine. 
The general and principal remedy for the preterna- 
tural or fickly commotions incident to' Wines after 
their firft clarification, and tending to their impove- 
riftiment or decay, is racking, i, e. drawing them 
from their lees into frefh vefiels. 
Which yet being fometimes infufficient to preferve 
them, vintners find it neceflary to pour into them a 
large quantity of new milk, as well to blunt the fharp- 
nefs of the fulphureous parts now fet afloat and exalt- 
ed, as to precipitate them, and other impurities, to 
the bottom by adhefion. 
But, taught by experience, that by this means the 
genuine fpirits of the Wine alfo are much flatted and 
impaired, (for the lee, though it makes the liquor 
turbid, doth yet keep the Wine -in heart, and con- 
duce to its duration ;) therefore, left fuch Wines 
fhould pall and die upon their hands, as of necdfity 
they muft, they draw them for fale as faft as they can 
vend them. 
For the fame difeafe they have divers other remedies, 
particularly accommodated to. the nature of the Wine 
that needs them : to inftance a few ; 
For Spanilh Wines difturbed by 'a, flying; Ice, they 
have this receipt : Make a parell (as they call it) of 
the whites of eggs, bay fait, milk, and conduit wa- 
ter ; beat them well together in a convenient veffeft 
then pour them into a pipe of '/Vine (haring firft drawn 
out a gallon or two to make room,) and blow off tho 
froth very clean ; hereby the tumult will in two or 
three days be compofed, the liqqor refined, and drink 
pleafantly, but will not continue to do fo long ; and 
therefore they advife to rack it from the milky bot- 
tom, after a week’s fettle ment, left otherwife it fr o red 
drink foul, and change colour. 
If 
