Washington sentinel., 1900-01-06
Wines from Apple juice by Help of
Fungi.
BosEOH ZyaHSeyibL


Thanks to one OF the latest dis
coveries Of science, we are now
able to make excellent wines OF
various kinds without resorting to
the grape" said an expert of the
Department Of Agriculture. Take
a sip Of this and tell me what you
think oiit." IT'S sherry, and good
stuff, too" murmured your cor
respondent. Apple juice; moth
ing but apple juice" replied the
professor. "Now try this"
Madeira" "Apple juice again.
Now this" "Sauterne, Of course"
"Apple juice once more" said the
professor. These wines, all OF
them capital, as you will have
noticed-are simply apple juice,
fermented with Yeasts OF different
kinds; but the yeasts are wine
yeastS, fetched from famous grape
growing districts in Europe.
you see, the flavor and aroma
Of sherry, for example, are not due
to the grape juice from which the
wine is made, but to the microsco-
pic fungus germs that cause its
fermentation. We import these
germs from the XsTes district Of
Spain, introduce them into fresh
apple uIce, and the result IS indis-
tinguishsble from an excellent
quality OF sherry. It is the same
way with hook, Madeira, or cham
pagne; we simply inoculate the ap-
pie juice with the requisite fungi,
and they do the rest. In the soil
Of the district Of Xeres certain
species OF minute fungi exist,
which, floating about in the air or
adheTing to the skins Of the ripened
grapes, get into the watts OF freshly
expressed grape juice and multiply
in the latter in incalculable num-
bers, feeding upon it and incident
ally giving to it the peculiar sherry
flavor. We merely substitute ap-
pie juice, which serves equally
we'll as a basis, add to it small
quantity CT the same species OF
germs procured directly from the
S0anish vineyards, and lo we
have sherry wine, possessing the
true favor and aroma There are
concerns now in France and other
parts Of Europe that make a busi-
ness OF propagating the yeasts OF
various kinds OF wines and putting
them up in Theoretically sealed
bottles Tor such uses.
THE yeasts are obtained from
the sediments Of the vats, and to
propagate them is exceedingly
easy, the only difficulty being to
separate out and isolate those
which produce the right sort Of
favor and aroma. You see, there
are an immense number of varie.
ties Of such vegetable organisms,
and the quality OF the wine depends
mainly upon the kind OF fungi
which make the fermentation.
Hitherto such matters have been
left to chance, and hence the great
difference in the quality Of yinta.
ges, given vineyard yielding in
some years a product Of a much
finer quality than in others. The
grapes are the same, the processes
used are identical, but the micro.
scopic fungi that get into the raw
grape juice vary in kind.
"FoT some time past brewers
have fully understood this idea, as
1t applies to beer, and in their es-
adjustments nothing is considered
quite so important as the preser-
vation and propagation Of particu.
lar species Of germs for accom-
plishing the work OF fermentation.
Only recently have wine makers
applied the principle in their bust
ness, but the results already OBJ
tanned are wonderful. They may
keep on hand their own yeasts, or
they can buy them ready bottled
and guaranteed as to quality, put
ting into each vat OF fresh grape
Juice the requisite quantity OF the
germ culture There can be no
doubt that the introduction OF this
method in California vineyards
will revolutionize the wine produc
ing dustry OF thai State"