A History And Description Of Modern Wines Book

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This is an OCR edition with typos.
Excerpt from book:
CHAPTER III. THE VINTAGE—(Continued.) ACCIDENTS TO THE PRODUCT OF THE VINTAGE IN ITS SUBSEQUENT STATE—REMEDIES—TREATMENT AND USES OP THE MURK—OIL OF GRAPE PIPS—BOILED WINES—VINS DE LIQUEUR, DE PAILLE, JAUNE — STRENGTHENING OP THE PRODUCE OF WEAK VINTAGES. Wines are subject, from known or unknown causes, to deterioration, or malady, soon after they are made. The two most dangerous changes to which they are liable in the maker's hands, are the becoming oily, or contracting acidity. Oiliness is a milky appearance, put on by wines made in a wet season, and ill fermented. The wine loses its natural fluidity, and becomes ropy. White wines are most subject to this malady, but not in the wood, unless of meagre quality ; but they will sometimes turn oily in the bottle, however well corked. After a certain time has expired they will again frequently become pure. The white substance at first seen in the wine turns brown, shrinks,and detaches itself in scales. The wine then takes its usual clear colour, and is cured. It is not prudent, however, to leave the cure to chance. Cream of tartar is often applied as a remedy in France. To each barrel holding seventy-eight gallons, about four quarts of wine are allowed, heated to the boiling point, with from six to twelve ounces of the purest cream of tartar, and the like quantity of sugar, thrown in, and well mixed up. This is put into the barrel hot, the bung made close, and the cask shaken for five or six minutes. In case there is reason to think the bung will fly, a small hole is made near it with a gimblet, to be stopped with a peg as quickly as possible, so that only the smallest quantity of the carbonic acid gas thus generated can escape, for it is to the generation of this gas that the wine is indebted for its cure. Two days afte...