1 
W I N 
who are repeating the fame, which take in Dr. Hales's 
words 
44 From many experiments which I made the laft fum- 
44 mer, I find that all fermented liquors generate air in 
44 large quantities, during the time of their fermen- 
44 tati.on •, for, from an experiment made on twelve 
44 cubic inches of Malaga Raifins, put into eighteen 
44 cubic inches of water the beginning of March, 
44 there were 41 1 cubic inches of air generated by the 
44 middle of April ; but afterwards, when the fer- 
44 mentation was over, it reiorbed a great quantity 
44 of this air •, and from forty-two cubic inches of ale 
44 from the tun (which had fermented thirty-four 
44 hours before it was put into the bolt-head) had ge- 
44 nerated 639 cubic inches of air from the beginning 
44 of March to the middle of June •, after which, it 
44 reforbed thirty-two cubic inches of air ; from 
“ whence it is plain, that fermented liquors generate 
44 air, during the time of their fermentation, but af- 
44 terwards they are in an imbibing ftate, which may 
44 perhaps account for the alteration of the nice Ita- 
44 lian Wines for Wine, during the firft year after 
44 making, continues fermenting more oriels, during 
44 whic 1 time a great quantity of air is generated, un- 
44 til the cold in September put a flop to it; after 
44 which it is in an imbibing ftate. Now the air thus 
44 generated is of a rancid nature (as the Grotto del 
44 Cano), and will kill a living animal, if put into it. 
44 So that if, during the fermentation of the Wine, 
44 there are two quarts of this rancid air generated, 
44 which is clofely pent up in the upper part of the 
44 veffel, when the cold fhall ftop the fermentation, 
44 the Wine, by abforbing this air, becomes foul, and 
44 acquires this rancid tafte ; to prevent which, I 
44 would prcpofe the following experiment : 
44 Suppofe the velfel A filled with Wine, 
44 in the bung- hole of this veffel b, I would 
44 have a glafs tube of two feet long, and 
44 about two inches bore, fixed with a pew- 
44 ter focket clofely cemented, fo as that 
44 there may be no vacuities on the fides, and into this 
44 tube fhould be another, of about half an inch bore, 
44 cofely fixed ; the lowe'r tube fhould always be kept 
44 about half full of Wine, up to X, which will fup- 
44 ply the veffel as the Wine therein fhall fubfide ; 
44 fo that there will be no room left in the upper part 
44 of the veffel to contain any generated air, which 
44 will pafs off through the upper fmall tube, which 
44 muft be always left open for this purpofe ; and the 
44 tube being fmall, there will be no danger of letting 
44 in too much air to the Wine. 
44 As the Wine in the lower tube fhall fubfide, it 
44 may be refilled by introducing a {lender funnel 
44 through the fmall tube, down to the fcum upon 
44 the lurface of the Wine in the larger tube, fo as to 
44 prevent its being broken by the Wine falling too 
44 violently upon it. This experiment, being tried 
44 with glafs tubes, will give an opportunity to ob- 
44 ferve what impreflion the different ftates of the air 
44 have upon the Wine, by its rifing or falling in the 
44 tubes ; and if it fucceeds, it may be afterwards 
44 done by wooden or metal tubes, which will not be 
44 in danger of breaking.” 
This curious experiment, having fucceeded wherever 
it has yet been tried, will be of great fervice in the ma- 
nagement of Wines, there being many ufeful hints 
to be taken from it, particularly with regard to fer- 
menting Wines ; for, fince we find that Wines too 
long fermented (efpecially thofe which are produced in 
cool countries) feldom keep well, fo, by letting them 
ftand in a cool place, the fermentation will be check- 
ed, which is agreeable to the practice of the Cham- 
pagnois, who keep the Wines in winter in cellars 
above ground ; but when the weather grows warmer 
ip fpring, they then carry them down into their vaults, 
where they are cooler than in the cellars ; and this me- 
thod of removing their Wines from the cellars to the 
vaults, and back again into the cellars, as the feafons 
of the year fhall require, is found of great fervice in 
preferving the Wines in perfection ; for thefe Wines, 
being Weak, (when compared with thofe produced iii 
more fouthern countries) have not body enough to 
maintain them, if they are permitted to ferment all 
the fucceeding fummer, which the heat of the feafori 
will promote where the Wine is expofed to its influ- 
ence ; and this furely muff be worth the trial by thofe 
who make Wine in this country, fince it is the prac- 
tice of the northern countries, which is the molt 
proper for our imitation, and not that of the molt 
lbuthern. 
But after the Wine has paffed its fermentation in the 
vat, and is drawn off into the calks, it will require 
fomething to-feed upon ; fo that you fhould always pre- 
ferve a few bunches of the beft Grapes, which may be 
hung up in a warm dry room for that purpofe, until 
there be occafion for them;, when they fhpuld be 
picked off the {talks, and two or three good handfuls 
put into each caflc, according to their feveral fizes ; 
for want of this many times people make ufc of other 
things, which are by no means fo proper for this 
purpofe. 
The vignerons of different countries do alfo put va- 
rious forts of herbs into the vat when the Wine is fer- 
menting, to give it different flavours. Thofe of Pro- 
vence make ufe of Sweet-marjoram, Balm, and other 
forts of aromatic herbs; and upon the Rhine they al- 
ways put fome handfuls of a peculiar kind of Clary 
into the vats, from whence arife the different flavours 
weobferve in Wines, which, it is poffible, were made 
in the fame manner, and from the fame forts of Grapes. 
How far this might be thought worth p rack fin g in 
England, a few experiments would inform us ; though 
it is to be queftioned, whether thefe herbs mend the 
Wine, beca,ufe it feems to obtain among the vigne- 
rons, purely to alter the flavour of their Wines, in or- 
der to render them agreeable to the palate of their par- 
ticular cuftomCrs ; but, however this be, it is yet cer- 
tain, that there is fome art ufed to alter the flavour of 
the Wine in moft of the different Wine countries of 
France ; for it is the fame fort of Grape, which the 
curious always plant in Orleans, Champagne, and 
Burgundy ; and how different thefe Wines are in their 
flavour and quality, every one who is acquainted with 
them, well knows ; and this difference can never be 
effedted by the fituation of the places, fince there is 
no very great difference in the heat of thofe countries ; 
nor do I believe their different ways of making the 
Wine can alter their flavour fo much, efpecially thofe 
of Orleans and Burgundy, where there is little dif- 
ference in their management ; but in Champagne 
there is this difference from the reft, that they always 
cut their Grapes in a morning, before the dew is gone 
off, or in cloudy weather ; whereas, the vignerons of 
all the other places never cut any till they are perfectly 
dry; which may occafion a great alteration in the 
Wine. 
The method commonly pradtifed to give the red co- 
lour to Wine, is to let it ferment a few days upon 
the fkins, which they always obferve to prefs two or 
three times, in order to make them dilcharge their 
contents ; but where a deep-coloured rough Wine is 
defired, there they put a quantity of a certain fort of 
Grape, whofe juice is red, into each vat ; this is well 
known in England by the name of Claret Grape ; the 
leaves of this Vine always change to a deep purple co- 
lour as the fruit ripens, and the Grapes are of fa fine 
blue colour, with a flue over them like fine Plums ; 
but the juice of them is very auftere, efpecially if they 
are not very ripe. 
This red Wine will not require to be drawn off into 
cafks more than at firft from the vat ; for it may re- 
main in the fame veffel until it is fit to bottle off, which, 
I think, fhould not be done till the Wine is two or three 
years old ; the greater quantity of Wine there is in each 
veffel, the more force it will have, and fo confequently 
be in lefs danger of fuffering from the injuries of wea- 
ther, efpecially if the before-mentioned method be 
pradtifed; but where there are large quantities of 
Wine preferved in clofe vaults, people fhould be very 
cautious how they at firft enter them, after they have 
been 
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