276 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
its former volume; the liquor clears up, and the fermenta- 
tion ends in silence. Three of those signs ought to fix 
our attention, to wit; the disengagement of gas; the for- 
mation of the alcohol, and the coloring of the liquor, 
OF GASES. 
The name of gas is given to vapors existing under an 
invisible form. Atmospheric air is a gas, or rather the 
union of different gases — these gases have a natural exis- 
tence, or are produced by operations of art; in both cases 
they may be confined in vessels; there are several kinds 
of gases: they are either odorous or inodorous, wholesome 
or dangerous; some of them are deadly poisons; such is 
she carbonic acid gas resulting from a body in a state of 
fermentation. Thus a vat of wine, of beer, of cider, &,c., 
emits aquantity of this gas, which, when breathed, causes 
asphyxia or death. 
OF CARBONIC ACID GAS. 
This gas is produced by a fermenting substance, and is 
similar to that which exhales from coals during their com- 
bustion; for this reason it has been called carbonic acid; 
both produce the same effects : the carbonic gas holds the 
first rank in fermentation ; and as this instruction is to 
admit of no theories, but those we deem essential, we shall 
only point out a few properties of this gas — from it wines 
acquire their briskness and sparkling qualities. Wine 
sparkles when it has been boitled betbre tJie completion of 
fermentation, and before its combination with the gas is 
effected. Wines obtained by a violent fermentation do not 
sparkle — red wine does not sparkle, because it absorbs 
the gas during the time it necessarily remains in the vat 
for its coloring. 
COMPAPOSON OF THE MUST, BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER FER- 
MENTATION. 
Must, expressed and abandoned to the two-fold action 
of heat and atmospheric air, assumes every minute a new 
character — its s.mell, taste, consistence and color undergo 
many modifications to become wine. Must has a sweet 
smell, and is more or less agreeable to the taste ; it is 
thick, or ropy, according as it contains more or less sugar ; 
taken inwardly it is laxative. These characters quickly 
change by the effect of fermentation — the smell becomes 
strong by the disengaging of the carbonic gas ; the sweet 
taste lessens in proportion as the alcohol is forming — it 
becomes fluid— flakes are now seen which before were not 
observable— at last the sweet taste disappears, and gives 
pl|ice to the taste and smell of the alcohol — the whole 
sacchaisne matter is not, however, entirely decomposed; 
but, that which still remains, is not perceptible in the 
alcohol ; and its decomposition will only be effected by 
the silent fermentation in the hogshead ; the must, which 
before fermentation was relaxing, being now changed into 
wine, becomes strengthening, and causes intoxication. 
iOOO quarts of Must would not yield, by distillation, one 
drop of alcohol; whilst after fermentation they may yield 
250 quarts. 
COLORING OF THE LIQUOR. 
Grapes, whether white or red, yield a colorless juice,* 
and would both produce white wine; the coloring prin- 
ciples is, therefore, in the skins or husks of the red grapes; 
the treading is of so short a duration that the must has not 
time to lake color; it becomes straw colored, pink or red, 
according as its stay in the vat is shorter or longer — to 
have it entirely red, it must remain in the vat, because the 
coloring part is only dissolved by the fermentation of the 
alcohol— grapes acquire color in proportion to their degree 
of ripeness, because the coloring principle has also its ma- 
turity, like other constituent principes of the grape ; for 
this reason the wines of the South have a higher color 
than those of the North ; pressed wine is always more 
colored. It results from these remarks, that the coloring 
*Nct sc ; some gT'apes yield a very red juice. McC 
of wine can be directed at pleasure, especially if the vint- 
age has acquired perfect maturity. 
©F ARTIFICIAL COLORING. 
The coloring matter adds nothing to the excellence of 
the wine, but often vitiates it. If the aroma or flavor be in 
the husks, the taste of the soilf is also found therein — a 
species of grapes may produce a well tasted white wine, 
and a red wine of an inferior quality; this difference is 
owing to a prolonged stay in the vat, and to the extraction 
of the coloring part, which containing, as already observ- 
ed, the taste of the soil, imparts it to the wine. There are 
many people, however, who esteem a high colored wine. 
This prejudice has introduced a custom of coloring wine 
by mixing several together; by this mixture, wine ceases 
to be natural, and may prove injurious to many constitu- 
tions ; but if a wine be colored by the addition of some 
vegetables substances, such as elder or myrtle berries, it 
becomes criminal, and the laws ought to prosecute those 
who carry on this traffic. It may not be amiss to remark, 
that those mixtures cannot escape the scrutiny of chemis- 
try ; that science which teaches the art of making wine, 
knows also the means of detecting those principles which 
do not form any of its component parts. All fraudulent 
additions, such as cider, perry, coloring juices, are easily 
discovered by the chemist — moreover, he knows the mix- 
ture of two different qualities of wine, by the crystalization 
of the tartar resulting from this simple mixture. 
OF VIOLENT AND INSENSIBLE FERMENTATION. 
There is a visible fermentation, more or less violent, 
which is succeeded by an insensible one — violent fermen- 
tation is the work of a few days, and even of some hours 
only; insensible fermentation takes place in the hogshead 
and is the work of time ; by this second fermentation alone 
the saccharine principle is destroyed, is changed into al- 
cohol, and combined with the gas. The formation of the 
lees, and precipitation of the tartar are tiie result of this 
second fermentation. 
OF THE LIFE OF AVINE. 
Winehas life as well as all vegetable substances; it pass- 
es successively through its different ages or periods, and 
in the transition is subject to accidents and diseases ; it 
becomes sour or ropy ; undergoes decomposition and 
dies. The life or duration of wine is not always the same 
— there are climates in which it lives a long time ; Sovik- 
ern latitudes are the most favorable ; the art of directing 
fermentation, and of keeping wine, prolongs its exist- 
ence. 
OF RACKING. 
The object in drawing oft’ wine from the vat, is to pre- 
vent it<s being vitiated by a tumultuous fermentation, 
whose action, motion and heat, though they might be les- 
sened, v/ould destroy its newly formed combinations: 
but the secondary fermentation instead of disuniting, will 
combine those constituent principles. The rules for draw- 
ing off wine, according to principles already established, 
depend on the climate, the season, the state of the vint- 
age, and the quality of wine desired. The subsidence 
in the vat is a doubtful sign; Northern wines would 
lose their excellence if left in the vat till that time. The 
racking might be too late if deferred until wine taken 
from the vat had no froth on the surface, left no bubbles 
on the side of the cup, and could not be made to foam by 
pouring it from one cup to another. The carbonic gas is 
then either combined or dissipated and it is necessary for 
the second fermentation that a portion of it should remain 
uncombined ; nor would the color of the wine indicate the 
moment fur racking; color is not a constituent prieciple. 
it is only accidental, and the composition of the wine does 
not depend upon it. 
For want of certain signs, we must have recourse to 
general rules : 
tLe gont dn terroir. — Raciness 
