The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-09-04
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
PACIFIC COAST WINES.

They Are Very strong Of AloohoS, and
Hsnee Quite Istoxioating.
Passing through Southern California
and being introduced by .
mutual friend to the proprietor Of one
Of tho wineries there, person who had
como over from Europe, I learned some
things about California wines that may
be Of general interest and help toward
. correct understanding of their nature.
The EMISSION grape" of which the wines
are made, probably 50 named from its
by persons connected with
the early Romish missions to California,
is not found in France, but is found in
Spain, Portugal and part of Italy. It
il sweeter, however, a. it grows in
Southern California than it is in
Europe. For this reason it is not suit
able for making dry wines" BY this
term the gentleman appeared to under
stand wines made from grape juice, con-
tanning only 50 much grape.sugar as
would be entirely changed in its fer
meutation. He stated that in fermen-
tation We can get only sixteen or sev-
enteen per cent of alcohol, which
statement agrees with those of others,
tho alcohol then becoming strong
enough to arrest further fermentation
by its preserving the remaining sugar
from decomposition, as it preserves
other substances immersed in it.
The grapes are put into = machine
which cleans out all the stems, crushes
the grapes, and filters out al tho pulp,
seeds and skins. 1t has three filters
through all of which the FIRST dow Of
juice, II not the whole of the liquid,
runs. Other persons acquainted with
the working Of the winery spoke Of
there being three runs Of the grape
juice, tho first run being used for max
ing the wine called angelica" the
second tor making sherry and port wine,
and the third for claret They stated
also that water is sometimes poured on
the pulp and skins for tho third run,
which reminds one Of the ancient Gus
tom of doing the same thing to make
the posea or sour drink of tho Roman
soldier
The proprietor ala not seem inclined
TO give any information about selling
the grape juice as unfermented wine,
though others affirmed that he some-
times sold the sweet juice. He boils
down quantities of it, but insisted that
it should be called grape molasses, F."
and not wine, although he was referred
to the Roman custom of calling such
wine defrutum and sapa
AS to the making Of the wine called
angelica" he said it was the sweet
grape-juice mixed with twenty per cent
of ''the spirit of wine" BY this term
he meant the alcohol he distills from
inferior grades of wine. At the time of
my visit he was said to be distilling
brandy, as tho season for gathering the
grapes and making wine had passed.
He poured out little of his angelica
for me to test its character, and the
simple smelling of it showed that it
was strong with alcohol. He stated
that no such wine is made in Europe,
but that there is sale for it in Amer
lea, and that it will not ferment, which
all will understand to be true who are
familiar with the nature of alcohol.
The twenty per cent. of alcohol is strong
enough to preserve the eighty per cent
of sweet juice from any decomposition
by vinous fermentation.
He also spoke of making other sweet
wines," as sweet sherry, etc., and said
they were fermented wines, but that
after fermentation had taken place and
they were fortified 50 as to contain
eighteen to twenty per cent of alcohol
portion of unfermented grape-juice
was then added to give them = sweet
taste. OF course, in this case, as
with the angelica, after the wine has
been fortified SO Is to contain eighteen
to twenty per cent of alcohol, the
sweet juice introduced into the wine
will be preserved from all change and
give the wine a sweet taste.
Speaking of the California claret, he
said that the European clarets contain
seven or eight per cent. of alcohol, but
the California clarets have eleven or
twelve per cent of it. The gentleman
who introduced me afterward said that
the clarets made in California some
times contain a. much as fifteen per
cent. OF alcohol
Thus 1t will be seen that the Cali
fornia wines are very strong of alcohol,
and hence must be quite intoxicating.
And We should be careful not to be de-
ceived by their names. 1t is evident
that the angelica may with propriety
be spoken of Is An unfermented wine.
But still, from this We must not i'm
agine that it is an Misunderstanding wine,
rs is generally understood, when we
speak OF unfermented wine. And again,
this wine is manifestly very different
in its nature from ordinary wines, 50
far as its nourishing properties are con-
cerned. Ordinary fermented and yet
pure wines con tain but . mere
tride of nourishment but the an
gelica, If made as described, must
DO very nourishing, although the
nourishment can be obtained only
with great accompanying evil and dan
ger from its being mixed with so much
alcohol. The best grape-juice is said
by chemical authorities to contain as
much or moro nutriment than An equal
quantity of the best milk. And as the
California grapes arc exceptionally fine,
II tho angelica contains eighty per cont.
OF the best grape-juice, it must have a
large amount of nourishment. And in
respect to the other sweet wines which
are fermented, If they have any consid-
cradle quantity of grape-juice put into
them after ferment ation has ceased, in
proportion to the amount of this which
they contain they must be nourishing
also. Apparently, therefore, some of
the California wines should be spoken
of with discrimination. and not be re-
garded as of the same nature as ordinary
European wines, even though these
wines may be pure and manufactured
from European grapes, and yet We
should not ignorantly or foolishly de-
lude ourselves with the idea that the
California wines are not very harm
full Intoxicating drinks.-Rev. c. Hart
we'll, in National Temperance Advo-
cate.
TREATING DISCOURAGED.
An Interesting Conversation Between q
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