A Method of Improving Wine and other Alcoholic Liquors.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 28th Mar. 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Method of Improving Wine and other Alcoholic Liquors.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert Co., Patent Agents, of
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by José Batallé,
of Barcelona, in the Kingdom of Spain, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
The object of this invention is to improve wine or other alcoholic liquids in a
simple and practical manner so that the effects of age are attained in a comparatively
short time.
In order to obtain this result I employ the physical-chemical action of sun-light
and of the oxygen in the air. The oxydation and the precipitation of the lees and
the astringent substances is thus obtained and the colour will become clear.
To arrive at this object two kinds of receivers of glass, crystal or other transparent
or translucent material may be used.
The one kind consists of the usual receivers such as bottles and the like and the
other kind consists of receivers made of convenient shape for carrying out this
invention.
In any case the receivers or vessels are only partially filled with the alcoholic
liquid, so that the space left free is filled with atmospheric air.
If the receivers or vessels are the usual bottles they are exposed to the sun-light
to obtain the largest possible contact between the liquid and the interior air by being
placed on their sides."
If special receivers are used a shape is chosen having little depth and large sur-
face, making an equal depth in the receiver in all its vertical sections as far as
possible, so as to obtain the most possible contact between the air and the liquid
because of the large surface, as well as the easy penetration of the suns rays with
regard to the position in which said receivers are placed.
Having filled the receivers they are exposed to the direct rays of the sun, after a
few days an abundance of sediment is seen and this should be stirred and separated
once or several times according to the results to be obtained.
Each time the sediment is separated and the alcoholic liquids exposed again to
the action of the sun, the latter will improve.
For alcoholic liquors which from their nature or by the first operations to which
they were submitted do not form sediments during their exposure to the sunlight, it
is advisable to stir them in order to renew the air so as to facilitate the oxydation
when they are exposed again to the sunlight.
Although the action of the sun and atmosphere give the means of using this pro-
cess in a perfect economical manner, there may be climatic or other causes which
would render it best to use artificial means.
In this case there may be used for the oxydation such mixtures which have more
oxygen than the atmosphere or oxydising bodies and instead of the action of sunlight,
the electric light or the like or heat in order to obtain the result.
In order to describe the process in detail, bottles may be taken as an example for
the receivers and as a suitable liquid, wine.
The wine is placed in bottles leaving part of the bottle full of air, and when corked
up exposed to the sunlight in a position so that the surface of contact of the wine
and the air is as large as possible.
If the bottle is sufficiently strong, it may be hermetically closed and if not a small
hole is made in the cork to allow the excess of gas or vapors, formed in the interior

page_text: of the bottle, to escape, thus preventing the interior pressure from exceeding the
resistance of the bottle and bursting it.
The sediment produced is separated by filtration, clarification or decanting after
all the liquid has been poured into one or more large receivers. When the sediment
is separated the liquid is replaced for a second time into the receivers under the
same circumstances as the first time and again exposed to the action of the sunlight
in the same manner as before. These operations are repeated until the desired
result is obtained.
In order to neutralize the germs which turn wine sour, exposing to the sun-
light during a few days is sufficient; to improve it a month is sufficient.
Artificial aging also takes place quickly but the time cannot be fixed exactly
since it varies with the nature of the wine and the degree of aging desired.
Exposure for three to nine months is sufficient in most cases to arrive at an
aging, which by the usual means would take 10 to 100 years.
For other alcoholic liquids the process is performed in a similar manner, the
time required depends upon the nature of the liquid and the result to be
obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
The method of improving or artificially aging alcoholic liquids consisting in
exposing these liquids in contact with air or mixtures containing oxygen in
transparent or translucent receivers to the action of sunlight or the electric or
other light and artificial heat substantially as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of February 1891.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.