Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/669

* WINE. 571 WINE. of little value in cold climates, but in warm re- gions they are of assistance in controlling fer- mentation and iniprovinfr the (lavor of the fin* islicd product. It is not true, however, that they can convert cider into liigli-j;ra<le wine as is po])ularly reported. In making red wine the prapes may be fer- mented whole or after crushing according to the vintner's preference. The former practice in- sures a clearer, lirightcr wine tlian the latter, wliieh yields a larger 'first run' (vin de youttc) and a wine richer in hodj' and coloring matter. In white-wine making the must becomes turldd from the growth of yeasts in it and from the flocculation of proteids and tartar. During the fermentation of red-wine must the floating mass (cap) of skins, stems, etc., brought to the surface by the gas evolved must be thoroughly mixed daily with the liquid to prevent souring and to insure uniform fermentation. To avoid this Ijbor, perforated or loosely fitting covers are used, and in making reil wine diverse inventions for excluding the air are gaining in favor. i the appearance of requisite color in the must, the mass is pressed, an operation which, depending upon the color of the grapes and their content of tannin, may occur the day after crush- ing, usually before the fifth day, but sometimes not until the conclusion of fermentation. Since rapid fermentation at temperatures above 2.5° C. produces less aromatic and less stable wines than slower action at lower temperatures — a fact which largely accounts for the superior aroma of northern wines — cool cellars have long been used and artificial methods of cooling are sometimes employed. As soon as the wine becomes clear, usually in December, it is racked into clean casks and kept at a lower temperature in the sub- cellar. Here a slow fermentation continues and a second racking (drawing off) is made in March or April, when cheap wines may be bottled for sale. Higher grades are kept in casks and racked annually (in some cases for eight years) until the sediment (tartar, proteids, gummy matter, etc.) ceases to form, the casks being kept full to the bung by additions of wine every week dur- ing the first few months and fortnightly there- after. The fine bouquet so much desired is produced by the gradual oxidation of the alcohols and the combination of the resultant products with acids; hence the necessity of keeping the wine in wood, through the pores of wiiich the air enters. No bouquet is formed in air-tight vessels. Racking every alternate month permits the absorption of oxygen, thus hastening the formation of bouquet. But it exposes the wine to possible infection of so-called diseases which may impart stale, sour, or bitter flavors and thus ruin the product. To obviate this, scrupulous cleanliness is imperative. As an additional precaution, however, antiseptics and other means are used as preventives. Of these practices, burning sulphur in the casks is most general; filtering through unglazed porce- lain, fining with gelatin and tannin are used in specific occasional cases; and pasteurizing has gained in favor since being demonstrated useful. Sp.RKLiKQ Wines. Effervescent wines are pre- pared by adding a small qiiantity of sugar syrup and occasionally yeast-forming material to bot- tled (sometimes barreled) ' white or red still wines, after which they are kept closely corked "to retain the carbon dioxide evolved by the en- VOL. XX.— 37. suing fermentation. Champagne, which is the most noted of these wines, demands the highest degree of skill and care. The grapes are gathered with scissors, the defective berries are cut off, the fruit removed to the press room with as little bruising as feasible and pressed quickly to avoid the extraction of an excess of tannin and coloring matter. After vigorous fer- mentation sid)sides the wine is racked into bar- nds, lilendcd lor the desired ilavor, and removed tu file cohl ccdlar, where ii is again racked in December. In March or April it is removed to the fermenting room and sugar added. As soon as fermcnfation starts more sugar, as a .syrup, is added and the wine decanted usually into tightly corked strong bottles, which are jiiaced neck downward in an inclined position. Wlien 'ripe' the bottle is given a gentle rotary move- ment, the cork drawn, the sediment wliieh col- lects in the neck dextrously removed, a small quantity of sweetened and flavored li(|Uor added, and the bottle quickly corked. Barrels are sometimes used to cheapen the price. Cham- pagne is never entirely dry, a trace of sugar be- ing necessarj' to prevent a raw, unpleasant taste. Sweet or Fortified Wines. To produce sweet wines, w'liich may be red or white, still or spark- ling, grapes of high sugar content are used, and before the sugar has all been acted u])on fermen- tation is stopped by the addition of wine brandy or alcohol, evaporated must or a sugar solution being also often added to meet certain demands. The mixture is then ripened in warm rooms in partially filled casks. It must contain more than 18 per cent, alcohol to prevent fermentation of the sugar, of wliieh ingredient as much as 8 per cent, may be found in the finished product. Blending. Since the composition, flavor, etc., of wine obtained from any variety of grape varies with seasons and various other factors, and since commerce demands uniformity, the mixing of somewhat dissimilar wines is widely practiced. By this means excess or deficiency of acids, body, astringency, etc., are corrected. In the operation the known composition of the elementary wines is of assistance, but much more depends upon the manipulator. In no other branch of wine-making are skill, experience, and judgment more requi- site. Composition and Adulteration. The con- stituents of grape must vary considerably in percentage with season, variety, state of ma- turity, etc. The principal ones are water, sugar, and cream of tartar (bitartrate of potassium). In cold climates, especially in unfavorable years, the sugars present (about equal parts grape and fruit sugar, with some cane sugar) may be less than twelve per cent. : in very warm localities, thirty per cent, or even more: the usual range is from fifteen to twenty-five per cent. Since they continue to form until the grapes are fully ripe, some is sacrificed when im- mature grapes are used : and since the mature fruit loses inoisture rapidly, the relative propor- tion of sugars to water increases after maturity — a phenomenon utilized in making certain wines, notably Malmsey. In the preparation of dry wines, musts containing more than twenty- five per cent, of sugar are commonly diluted thus to prevent the formation of a sweet wine by the non-conversion of the sugar into alcohol. Fer- mentation does not yield more than about 14 per