OUR  NATIVE  WINES. 
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grape,  viz.,  the  Still  or  Dry,  the  Sparkling,  and  the  Sweet.  Of 
these,  the  Still  or  Dry  wine  most  perfectly  represents  the  grape, 
being  made  from  the  juice  or  must,  without  any  additions ;  the 
Sparkling  variety  represents  the  Champagne  wines  of  France, 
and,  in  delicacy  of  flavor,  compares  favorably  with  them ;  and  the 
Sweet  wine  represents  the  light  Sweet  Wines  of  Europe.  The 
latter  two  are  made  to  suit  the  palates  of  those  desiring  such  wines, 
and  contain  varying  proportions  of  sugar,  added  previous  to 
fermentation,  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  proportion  of 
alcohol,  and  of  rendering  them  sweet. 
The  Still  Wine,  when  made  with  care,  varies  from  a  pink  to 
a  reddish  hue,  and  is  sometimes  of  a  straw-color.  It  has  a 
strong  boquet,  peculiar  to  the  Catawba.  It  is  called  a  « light" 
wine,  from  the  small  percentage  of  alcohol  which  it  contains  ;  a 
"  dry"  one,  partly  from  the  presence  in  it  of  some  tannic  acid, 
but  principally  from  the  absence  in  it  of  sugar,  the  excess  of 
mucilage  in  the  fresh  must  converting  all,  or  nearly  all,  of  the 
saccharine  matter  into  alcohol  during  fermentation.  It  is  an 
acid  wine — the  cultivation  of  this  grape,  so  far  north  as  the 
greatest  number  of  vineyards  now  are,  does  not  allow  it  to  come 
to  its  most  perfect  maturity  ;  the  growers  also,  through  care- 
lessness, do  not  cull  with  suflicient  care  the  unripe  from  the 
ripe  grapes,  before  mashing  and  pressing  them,  or,  through  fear 
of  loss  by  frosts,  cut  them  too  early. 
It  is  asserted  by  our  most  experienced  growers,  that  the  must 
of  the  perfectly  matured  Catawba  grape  is  richer  in  saccharine 
matter  than  most  European  grapes,  and  that  it  by  similar  treat- 
ment, will  produce  wine  stronger  than  those  from  the  latter. 
The  probability  is,  that  this  grape  grown  in  the  most  southern 
of  our  States,  would  produce  (the  other  necessary  conditions 
being  equal)  wines  as  strong  as,  and  in  other  characteristics 
comparing  favorably  with,  Sherry,  Madeira,  and  similar  wines. 
We  should  not,  however,  suppose  tbat  the  Madeira  and  Sherry 
which  is  imported  represents  those  wines  as  found  in  the  cellars 
of  the  manufacturers  of  them  in  their  native  countries;  for 
no  pure  wine  is  exported,  or  even  can  be  kept,  unless  in 
cool  cellars,  without  the  addition  to  it  of  from  8  to  15  per  cent, 
of  brandy. 
The  amount  of  alcohol  in  Still  Catawba  varies  from  8  to  11 
