increase of the quantity of alcohol, and the separation of the tartar, which is deposited in considerable quan- 
tity in the casks, along with the colouring matter of the wine. It is of a dark red colour, very hard, and is 
known under the name of argol. When this is dissolved in water, and purified by crystallization, and reduced 
to powder, it forms the cream of tartar of commerce. 
Weak wines, and those that have been too long fermented, are very apt to become sour; but the acidity 
may be corrected by the addition of sugar ; or more effectually by neutralizing the acid. For this purpose 
the alkalies and alkaline earths, especially lime, have been employed. It was formerly the practice to use 
the acetate of lead to destroy the acidity in weak wines, but this murderous practice has long since been laid 
aside. Ropiness may be got rid of by exposing the bottles to the sun and air, by adding a small quantity 
of vegetable acid, and by fining. The mustiness and other ill flavours communicated by the casks or cork, 
may sometimes be removed by agitating the wine in contact with the air, or by the introduction of common 
carbonic acid gas, by pumping. 
The odour and flavour of wines depend altogether on climate, soil, and the mode of conducting the fer- 
mentation: the same climate, soil, and mode of culture, often produce wines of very different qualities. Po- 
sition and aspect alone, all other circumstances being the same, make a prodigious difference. The vine 
grows in every soil, but that which is fight and gravelly, is best adapted for its cultivation. It flourishes 
extremely well in volcanic countries; thus some of the best wines of Italy are made in the neighbourhood of 
Vesuvius. The famous Tokay wine is also made in a volcanic district, as are several of the best French 
wines. The vine also flourishes well in primitive countries, and especially among the debris of granite rocks; 
thus the celebrated Hermitage wine is made from a soil of this description. 
The quality and flavour of the more fully fermented wines depend principally on the mode of conducting 
the process of fermentation; but the sweet and half-fermented wines derive their taste immediately from the 
fruit. “Malaga, Frontignac, Tokay, Vino Tinto, Montifiuscone, Schiraz, and the Malmsey wines of the 
Greek islands, are sweet to the taste, and consequently the result of imperfect fermentation; Champagne, 
Gooseberry, and all sparkling wines, owe their briskness to carbonic acid gas; Hock, Rhenish, Mayne, Bar- 
sac, Burgundy, Claret, and Hermitage, contain a certain quantity of uncombined acid, and are termed fight 
and dry; while Marsala, Madeira, Sherry, and Port, are dry and strong. The odour of Sherry is pleasant 
and aromatic; the taste warm, with some degree of the agreeable bitterness of the peach kernel; the taste of 
Port is austere and bitterish; Claret is less rough, thinner, slightly acidulous, and highly flavoured; and Hock 
acidulous. Of the common white wines, Marsala is undoubtedly the strongest.” The roughness and flavor 
of red wines are generally derived from the husks of the fruit, and when it is wished to impart these qualities 
in a higher degree, various astringent and chemical preparations are used, such as catechu, kino, logwood, 
rhatany root, the juice of sloes, elder-berries, &c. A yellow tint is given to many wines by means of burnt 
sugar: raspberries, orris-root, fir-tops, and a variety of other ingredients are employed for the purpose of 
communicating their respective flavours. In Madeira wines, as well as those of Xeres and San Lucar, it is 
the practice to use sweet and bitter almonds; hence the nutty flavour of many of these wines. Notwith- 
standing these differences in the qualities of wines, the essential principles found in all of them are the 
following: one or more acids, viz. the tartaric, the malic, the citric, the carbonic, and in some instances the 
acetic; extractive matter, which in old wines is deposited with the tartar, and constitutes part of what is 
called crust; a volatile oil, on which the flavour depends; colouring matter; and alcohol. — Medical Botany. 
Laborde, in his account of (Spain, gives the following description of the mode of drying raisins: — “In 
the kingdom of Valencia they make a kind of ley with the ashes of rosemary and vine branches, to which 
they add a quart of slaked lime. This ley is heated, and a vessel, full of holes, containing the grapes is put 
into it. When the branches are in the state desired, they are generally carried to naked rocks, where they 
are spread on beds of the field artemisia, and are turned every two or three days till they are dry. In the 
kingdom of Granada particularly towards Malaga, they are simply dried in the sun, without any preparation. 
The former have a more pleasing rind, but a less mellow substance ; the skins of the latter are not so sugary, 
but their substance has a much greater relish; therefore the raisins of Malaga are preferred by foreigners and 
are sold at a higher price: to this, their quality may likewise contribute, they are naturally larger, and more 
delicate, than those of the kingdom of Valencia.” — The Library of Entertaining Knowledge. 
