The evening times., 1899-06-12
AMERICAN Wines TO
equal EUR0PE'S BEST
Agricultural Experts Dis
cover Secrets of Flavoring.
Successful Experiments Made at
the Department.
Marvellous Results From tIe Treat
ment of Ordinary Sweet Cider
A Remarkable Yeast.

The Department of Agriculture is now
conducting series of experiments, the
| results of which will be awaited with in
teresI by American winemakers. The lat
| ter have not, as rule, succeeded in pro-
ducing a wine that will thoroughly salts
fy the taste Of the connoisseur in the mat
ter of such dainty beverages, but the
Agricultural Department experts hope that
| their discoveries will enable the American
| to supply a brand that will successfully
compete with those of France and Ger
man origin. The secret Of this hoped for
change is the application Of European
methods of flavoring wines.
1t was found by the winemakers OF Eu-
rope some years ago that the quality OF
their products was deteriorating. Once in
while the wine from certain vintage
would possess the bouquet and the flavor
which would delight the most critical, but
under the same conditions the product of
the following year would be almost worth
less. Enquiry was instituted and it was
finally agreed that the natural fermenta-
ton and subsequent flavoring Of the wine
could no longer be depended upon. Float
ing in the air. in addition to the thousands
Of germs. are bacteria and yeast spores
and other microscOpical vegetable growths.
Through the bungholes of the wine casks
the yeast spores entered and finding lodg-
ment in the grapejuice, gave to it, as it
fermented. its bouquet and flavor.
TO guarantee successful fermentation
every year the wine merchants about eight
years ago introduced the artificial fertiii-
zation of their wines by natural yeast.
They extracted yeast spores from wines
already known to be up to the standard,
and these spores they developed into the
yeast itself. From this yeast they obtain
ed cultures which they introduced into
grape juice, and thus guaranteed high
class, perfectly acceptable wine.
American apples are being made into c!-
der in Europe, the cider treated by the
means described above and the product re-
turned to this country as wine. Apples
unstable in their natural state in this
country are cored and sliced and dried by
large factories in Michigan and other ap
ple-producing States. and the dried apples
baled and exported. In France and Ger
many these apples are soaked, ground. and
the juice extracted. VITA the addition OF
the proper yeast, and perhaps some high
wines or chemicals, the cider is turned
into wine, is charged with carbonic gas,
and much of it returns to America as
champagne.
With the knowledge of these facts Profs.
Loew and Smith started in to improve the
quality of American cider. One of the sci
entists procured from different wine grow
ers of France and Germany samples of the
yeast used by them. OF all samples the
best comes from Steinberg. Germany, the
home of the Rhine wine.
Each sample was introduced into a test |
tube, partly filled with the vegetable gela-
tine used for the cultivation of yeast !
spores. In a few days there appeared on |
the surface Of the gelatine tiny white |
spots, each denoting that colony of thou |
sands of the spores had located there. |
These colonies can easily be separated and |
it is possible to reproduce the growth SO |
that the colony producing the finest ia |
vored wine can be used to the exclusion OF |
the other colonies. .
Continuing the work the scientists pro- |
cured samples of sweet cider. To render |
them free from other sports. which would |
conflict with the experiment, the samples |
of cider were sterlized and then the diff |
ferent samples of yeast were introduced |
into the samples of cider. a bulletin will |
be issued by the departmnt when the ex-
pertinent is completed detailing the pro- |
cess and the result, but it may be stated |
the experiment resulted most successfully. |
From the Steinberg yeast a cider was OBJ
talned OF an aroma as delicate as that of |
a first-class Rhine wine.
The experiment has gone SC far as to |
leave no doubt that cider or wine thus |
treated can be made in America equal to |
the finest products of French and German
vineyards. When everything is ready the |
department will undertake to introduce the
California and other domestic winegrowers
TO the new method of flavoring their wines.
and, it is believed. they will no longer
have any difficulty in competing with the
European producers.