IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FABRICATION OF ARTIFICIAL WINES, BRANDY, AND VINEGAR
Year: 1857

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Jean Alexandre Zibelin, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th March 1857.
I, JEAN ALEXANDRE ZIBELIN, Gentleman, of Paris, in the French Empire,
and of 45, Essex Street, Strand, London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FABRICATION OF ARTIFICIAL WINES,
BRANDY, AND VINEGAR," to be as follows:-
The principle upon which this Invention is based is the chemical analysis of
unfermented grape wine or wort, and the employment of the products given by
the said analysis for making a sweet liquid or artificial wort, submitted to
alcoholic fermentation and treated in the same manner as the grape wort for
making natural wines. The said liquid or artificial wort is composed of water,
sugar, of glucose, cane, beet root, or other sweet matter, bitartrate of potassa,
tan or the bark of oak, yeast of beer, or any other ferment capable of maintain-
ing the alcoholic fermentation. These substances are used in several pro-
portions according to the quality of the wine to be produced. The wine may
be coloured or remain white. And if colouring is used, I place in a tub
whortleberries, bear grapes, elderberries, or a decoction of logwood, or Brazil
wood, or, if preferred, the artificial wine may be coloured with some natural
dark wine. The aroma can be obtained by placing in the tub several aromatics
according to the kind of wine desired to be made, such as a small quantity of
elder flower, iris of Florence, alcohol of raspberry, unripe fruit of the sorb tree,
or unripe plums of the sloe tree, and good results may be obtained by the

page_text: addition of the cultivated plum of any kind or specie whatever. All those
substances must be added in very small quantities, so as to give only the
aroma.
The process is as follows:-The bitartrate of potassa is to be dissolved in
cold or warm water (preferably warm), and in this liquid the sugar or sugared
matter is to be diluted and the ferment added afterwards, as well as the above-
named substances; the whole is put into a tub, barrel, or vase appropriated to
the alcoholic fermentation. This accomplished, the wine is racked into casks
or any other vase for the purpose of completing the insensible fermentation.
After 3 months the wine may be drawn for the trade; and if it is desired to
keep it longer, the liquid will be treated in the manner of natural wine. I can
also make the wine similar to champagne either by submitting it to the same
treatment as natural champagne or by charging it with gas by means of an
apparatus for making aerated liquids. I have shewn that in making the
artificial wine I have been guided by the chemical analysis of the wort of
grapes unfermented, and by the said analysis, as well as the analysis of several
wines, I have found that the flavour and strong heady wine were produced by
the presence of a vegetable acid (varying according to the soil upon which the
grapes are grown), such as formic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, citric acid,
&c. In Spanish and other wines the flavour is produced or modified by the
presence of certain soluble salts, such as the tartrate of potassa and of iron.
The following is an example of the quantities of the various ingredients to
give the best results for making ordinary white wine:-For every 22 imperial
gallons of water I use 42 lbs. 10 oz., troy, of glucose; 1 lb. 4 oz., troy, bitar-
trate of potassa; 3 oz. 4 pennyweights (troy) of tartaric acid; 2 lbs. 8 oz., troy,
bark of oak, and 3 pennyweights & 5 grains (troy) elder flower. These
quantities may vary, and I can employ similar substances or add inert sub-
stances without sensibly altering the results.
For making superior white wine, I augment the quantity of glucose; and
if a wine possessing more alcohol is required, I double the quantity of glucose,
but diminish by one half the tartaric acid and add an equivalent quantity of
citric acid.
In other instances I add a small quantity of formic acid, 6 pennyweights,
10 grains, troy, for every 22 imperial gallons.
Some Spanish wines contain, besides the matters above named, a small pro-
portion of tartrate of potassa and of iron, which give to those wines a particular
flavour. It is advisable to add the said products to the wine during the fer-
mentation, and in small quantities, say 73 grains, troy, for 22 imperial
gallons.

page_text: The white wine obtained in the manner above described may be mixed with
highly-coloured red wine, producing a mixture coloured according to the
quantity of red wine mixed with it.
The distinctive characters of iny artificial wine, which I call "Magonty's
wine of Bordeaux," are the constitution of artificial worts fermented by the aid
of beer yeast or otherwise, and worked the same as natural wines, the addition
of vegetable acids and soluble substances destined to assimilate the flavour of
wines of several soils, and the proportions and matters employed for making
artificial worts similar to the natural worts.
The Magonty's artificial wine is susceptible of several mixtures and modi-
fications similar to those to which natural wines are submitted, since it is
composed of the same elements, in the same proportions, and producing the
same effects.
It is well known that brandy is obtained by the distillation of wine; and
by distilling the Magonty of Bordeaux instead of the natural wine, I obtain
a very excellent brandy, and to give a particular aroma to the product
obtained, I mix with it natural brandy of the best or ordinary quality.
So as to be well understood, I shall explain the method I employ :-I infuse
Brazil wood, in shavings, with the artificial wine, and distil as in the
manufacture of ordinary brandies with natural wines. The infusion or
maceration is not indispensable, it being sufficient to put the Brazil wood
shavings in the alembic with the artificial wine. The quantity of wood varies
according to the aroma desired to be given; for instance, about 2 lbs., 8 ounces,
troy, may be used for every 22 imperial gallons of wine; but the quantities
may vary as well as the mode of operation, the principle of my improved
system being the employment of Brazil wood for the improvement of the
products arising from the products of the distillation of the artificial wine.
I can also apply the Brazil wood in the same manner for the improvement
of natural brandy or of any other alcoholic liquid by using it before, during,
or after the distillation.
I can also obtain very excellent brandy of a particular character by mixing
the artificial wine with a natural wine, such as cognac wine.
The Magonty's wine of Bordeaux (either red or white) can be converted
into vinegar in the same manner as natural wines.