Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-05-23
For the Phulipsburg Herald.
How Wine Is Made.


The most prominent question that /
presents itself, is, is grape juice wine /
before fermentation take place?
All we have TO say IS, when Christ I
turued water into wine there was no /
alcohol In il, unless he caused it TO be I
there. Yet 1t was good wine. How /
ever grape juice is not wine nova
DAYS unless it has fermented, at least |
Il is not considered as such.
True wine is simply fruit juice eX-
messed. There are many kinds of
wine named after the fruits from
which they are made, as curFant wine,
Oooseberry wine, blackberry wine, etc
The wines Of commerce, at least
those Which might be called real"
wines III distinction from the false or
made-up wines, are prepared from
grapes. These again are known by
many names frequently taken from
the places where they are made, as
Port, Burgundy, Hermitage, and the
Rhine wines, and they are also classed
as dry, sweet, still or sparkling, etc.
All the fermented wines agree, how
ever, in one important particular, they
contain alcohol. This alcohol is con-
sldered so essential that many con-
tend there IS no wine without it. That,
however, depends upon circumstances.
If it is homemade VINE, and they are
! trying to persuade some total alb
| stainer to drink it, the argument IS,
/ ''There is no alcohol In it. 1 made it
myself, and put in no alcohol. 1t
! contains nothing but fruit juice and
sugar" But If they are speaking of
/ the wine that Christ made IN Cana
of G8lilee, or used at the last supper,
| they aver that there must have been
! alcohol in it because 1t would not be
''wine'' unless fermented.
The process by which fermented
VINE is made is essentially the same
IN all countries. The grapes are
pressed aud the juice is permitted to
stand in a temperature between forty
five and eighty degrees, either with
or without the skins and puIDs. In
warm weather fermentation com
mences in a few hours. and the sugar
begins to break up. one half of it
forming alcohol and the other half
going off as carbOnio acid gas, which
rises to the surface in little bubbles,
making the foam seen on all ferment-
ing substances. Tho. process Is sim
ply one of decay, usually conducted
10 partially closed vessels to prevent
the escape of the alcohol, or to pre-
vent It's being changed into acetiC
acid, which is the next step in the
| process of decay. This process may
be readily examined by placing the
Juice Of either fresh or steWed fruits
in q glass jar slightly covered IN {
moderately warm place. In a shOr
time it will foam mp and the little
specks Of carbOnic acid gas can often
be traced from the point Of their for
nation as the rise to the surface anC
, burst. In the Gaze of a large CasI
this bursting of bubbles produces al
E audible hlssing, and the amount o
I carboniC acid gas thrown of IN Win
cellars IS sometimes so great as t.
7 prove fatal to careless WOFkmen.
: Every particle OF this poison gas
: leaves behind a particle OF alcohol
= even in decaying fruit sauces, which
+ however, we cali spoiled and throV
o them away. But we kesp the decay
e ed fruit juices which have bee
IS through the same process OF decay
e and call them by pet names, and offe
K them, IN spite of the poison they con
u tain, to our dearest friends when "
wish to show them the greatest kind
a ness or do them the greatest honor.
It Here then you have the pOpula
o wine at its best. made by the Who'll,
e sale destruction and decay of one
s the most wholesome and nutrition
Y fruits given to man by a gracioU
q providence. It is difficult to max
.e and still more difficult to keep. an
d a prolific source of mischief to ID
IS body, mind and morals Of the drinke
} Such is wine, and such is the effec
d We think this motto worth Of repeti
As ion, Touch not, taste not and hand
1t not" G.. G.. r.