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spirit of wine, which becomes more perceptible 
as the process advances. At length these com- 
motions of the fluid abate spontaneously; and, 
after a few hours rapid fermentation, the ebulli- 
tion ceases altogether, the mass subsides to its 
former bulk, and the crust and solid particles 
which disturbed the transparency of the liquor, 
are precipitated to the bottom of the vessel.” In 
order to insure a regular and complete fermen- 
tation, it is necessary that the grapes should be 
all equally trodden, and that the vat which is to 
contain them should be filled as speedily as pos- 
sible ; within twenty-four hours at farthest. Fer- 
mentation proceeds with incredible rapidity, in- 
somuch that the juice, as it flows from the grape, 
will often work and ferment before it arrives at 
the vat, owing to the pressure and motion to 
which, when being carried from the vineyard, it 
has been subjected. The most favourable tem- 
perature, as already stated, is 65° of Fahrenheit. 
Below that degree, fermentation is languid ; 
above, it is violent; and when very high or very 
low, it ceases altogether. When the process 
has commenced, however, the temperature quickly 
rises, even so high as 30° above the point in 
Another circumstance necessary to 
fermentation is contact with the external air: 
without this, indeed, no fermentation can take 
place; but after the process has been established, 
such contact is not necessary. Finally, fer- 
mentation is brisk in proportion to the extent of 
the fermenting mass; so that in a cask it pro- 
ceeds more slowly than in a vat. When, from 
any cause, fermentation does not go on success- 
fully, means must be used to supply the defect. 
If, for example, the must is too thin and watery, 
and fermentation proceeds with difficulty, the 
objection may be removed by one of three ways,— 
either by boiling the must and allowing the su- 
perabundant water to evaporate,—or by merely 
throwing in a portion of must which has been 
thus thickened,—or by adding a quantity of 
sugar, as is the common practice in cold climates 
where the grapes seldom reach their full maturity. 
In some places baked gypsum is used, in order 
to absorb the excess of humidity ; in others, the 
grapes are partially dried before they are trod- 
den. The addition of tartar accelerates fermen- 
tation, particularly if the grapes abound in the 
saccharine principle. The stalks of the grapes, 
when added to the mash, act as a powerful 
leaven, and augment the strength of the wine ; 
but to the weaker sort, they are apt to commu- 
nicate a harsh and austere flavour, owing to the 
tannin and extractive matter which they con- 
tain. In the case of port they are always used ; 
while in the manufacture of the more delicate 
red wines of Bourdeaux, they are generally ex- 
cluded. For the white wines of the same dis- 
trict, however, they are thought to be advan- 
tageous, rendering them less apt to spoil. Yet 
the wines of the Rhine, which are distinguished 
by their great durability, are not fermented 
731 
with the stalks, and would probably not bear 
the addition. The exact time required to com- 
plete fermentation varies, being dependent on 
the quality of the grapes and of the wine sought 
to be obtained. Weak wines require but a short 
time; the lighter wines, in truth, will not bear 
the vat longer than from twenty to thirty hours. 
If a brisk wine is wished, the contents of the 
vat must be drawn out into casks before the fer- 
mentation subsides. In general, the process 
may be regarded as terminated, when the sac- 
charine flavour of the must has disappeared and 
the liquor has acquired a distinct vinous taste. 
—In transferring the wine from the vat to the 
cask, it undergoes a new process, which renders 
it again turbid, and generates the phenomena 
that marked the former action. A portion of 
the sugar, though the taste of it has nearly dis- 
appeared, remains undecomposed; and this be- 
ing acted upon by the mucilaginous extractive 
matter which still exists in solution, a disen- 
gagement of carbonic acid gas, and a fresh 
deposit of sediment, will be the result. These 
movements become by degrees less perceptible ; 
but still there goes on an insensible fermenta- 
tion, as it is called, which, particularly in the 
case of the stronger wines, will continue for 
many years,—during which they become much 
ameliorated. A portion of the colouring matter 
and tartar is precipitated; the liquor loses its 
harshness ; and the aroma and flavour that are 
peculiar to it become more apparent. These 
changes may be accelerated by various artificial 
methods, especially by the agitation of the lees, ' 
which always contain a quantity of fermentative 
matter, and by the assistance of heat. Hence 
the reason why certain strong and austere wines 
are so much improved and mellowed by being 
exported on the lees to a warm climate, while 
the lighter and more delicate wines are generally 
injured by being made to undergo a similar pro- 
cess, or even by the motion occasioned by the 
removal of them to any considerable distance.— 
The next step, when wine has attained a suffi- 
cient degree of maturity, is to free it from the 
lees by being racked, as it is termed, into a clean 
cask ; and in order to prevent a renewal of fer- 
mentation, it is subjected to the operation of 
sulphuring. This process is generally performed 
by means of sulphur matches applied to the cask 
into which the wine is to be racked. Should 
the fermentation still continue, this application 
is renewed as often as may be necessary. Some- 
times must, strongly impregnated with sulphur- 
ous acid gas, is added to the wine, which answers 
the same purpose as the other mode. After sul- 
phuring, the greater proportion of wines require 
to be farther clarified, or ‘fined, before they 
attain a due brightness. Jor this purpose vari- 
ous substances are used, which, by their chemi- 
cal or mechanical action, unite with such mate- 
rials as disturb the purity of the wine, and pre- 
cipitate them to the bottom. The substances 
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