Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-06-06
DR.. Rerseh, of vienna, on Turbid
EOunU Red Wines


Difficulties in red wines, after the tur
bulent fermentation has been accom-
plished, are frequent. Two causes bring
about the Irregularities Of the last fer
mentation. Lees originate chiefly from
the surface of the grapes. Red wines,
having fermented on skins, necessarily
carry with them a considerable amount
of lees, which cause rapid fermenta.
tion. Second. the large proportion of tan
uin extracted from the seeds causes q
great quantity of albuminous matter to
become insoluble. A white must is al.
ways less rich in tannin, aud therefors
keeps albuminous matter soluble; this
has to be dissolved by frequent TACK
ings, exposing the wine to the air. AL
though a young red wine may appear
bright, it will go on precipitating albu-
minous matter together with some color
ing matter, gradually becoming insolu-
BILE. Racking young red wine, which,
with all its apparent brightness,
holds and deposits the matters
spoken of. together with carbon
ic acid gas, has the salutary eff
feet Of fousing the latter from the lower
strata of the wine and diffusing it in the
mass Of the wine. This is necessarily
rendering the wine turbid. Unfavora-
BILE weather with undue pressure OF air
will make the wine still more troubled.
This effect is harmless and the wine will
gradually clear itself, as the pressure Of
the air with more favorable weather will
again precipitate the matter in solution.
When the wine again assumes good
clearness, no time should be lost in free
ing it over the precipitate by new and
careful racking.
Together with the spores of ferment-
alton the surface OF the grapes hold
spores of mold which arrive in the must.
The latter can live only when brought
in contact with air. Split spores, which
likewise are brought into the must from
the skins, can live without direct air
admission. The size of the split spores
is infinitely small, and thus cannot be
distinguished in the clear wine. Most
of these spores will settle in the precipi-
tates. But the presence of even
so small proportion of them in the clear
wine will cause the most disastrous
effect. These spores continue to live
and increase, and will bring about the
effect that the wine gradually becomes
unfit to be consumed. Grapes on which
rain has fallen just previous to gather
ing, and such which have been split or
rotted in consequence of the rain, have a
large amount of split spores. The effect
of this is the resistance Of the wine to
Qualification, and its growing turbidness.
A high temperature is particularly ia
vorable to the development OF split
80 I'D A.,f karr M
infested with them will behave in the
next few months samples should be
placed in temperature of about go to
So degrees F. These samples should be
in white bottles, corked, and not be ex-
posed to trepidations. In that temper.
AZURE the split germs will rapidly grow,
the wine become very turbid, assuming
a blush tint, and its taste viii
become more unpleasant if ii
is really full of the germs,
which will bring the wine to a stage oil
disease called bitterness. Microscopic
observations OF the wine will more easily
show its condition. If turbid, but not
infected by split germs, the microscope
will show only the red liquid with some
ferment germs swimming in the same.
But in the contrary case and infested
fully with split germs, the decay Of the
wine is evident. No treatment will free
it from the dangerous element; racking,
sulphuring, filtering or clarifying
will be useless. To render it fit for rapid
consumption. heating it for moment
up to 100 degrees F., may kill the split
germs present. This remedy. if applied
at the earliest stage, will prevent decay
of the wine, which, under the most
scrupulous care, may be saved effectu
ally, but it is in every case defective
wine or a very ordinary one, and not one
which should be kept for any length oil
tines. +. Merchant.