Year: 1861

Report of the Committee on Wines.
TO the Indiana State Board Of agriculture :


When we take into view the historical
fact that some of the earliest attempts at the
introduction of vine culture into the great
W estern Valley, were made within the bor-
ders of this State, and that, by its own iu-
trinsic merits as an important branch of ag-
riculture, vine culture has spread and vine
yards have multiplied to a considerable ex-
tent in those portions of the State that are
adapted to them and further, when we
consider the fact that has been so often as
serted by travellers and urged by philan-
thropic men, that wine growing countries
are remarkable for their temperance, we can
here not only congratulate you, the Super
visors of Agriculture, but also the people
of the State at large, who have shown by
their legis lative acts their strong bias in ia
vor of temperance. Yes, we congratulate
you, and also the industrious, plodding and
persevering men, who have pursued this
branch of cultivation under all discourage
ments of bad seasons, uncertain climate, a
new soil, new varieties of grape, and, more
than all, under the ban of misguided pub
lie opinion, we congratulate all, that there
is a change in public sentiment upon this
subject, and that the fostering care of the
ObGLO OOCiEtJ AA5 DOCH CAtCA0CQ W GAlS
portant branch of agriculture.


Your committee have not been able to
procure any reliable statistics as to the area
devoted to the vine in Indiana, but hope
that by your wise efforts such material of
statistics for future use may be gathered
through the several county organizations.
Let such local reports contain the number
of acres and the number of gallons produc-
ed, and you will be surprised and delighted
at seeing the sum total. The moral influence
is no longer a question, nor can it be so to
the most prejudiced mind, after a compari-
son of the temperate wine drinkres of those
portions of the State where the vineyards
exist, with the scottish folks who indulge in
the profuse use of bad whisky, so largely
produced and consumed elsewhere. The
vine has ever been the emblem Of blessing
let it resume its proper position on our es-
cutcheon.


The great desideratum for those engaged
in the cultivation of the vine in this State,
is the proper preparation of the wine. Let
not the juice be expressed from the grapes
until they are fully ripened. This is mat
ter of the greatest Importance to success
Let all immature and defective berries be
removed before pressing. Let perfect clean
liness be observed in all the vessels used,
and be sure to have pure air as an essential
circumstance, in the place where the wine
is kept:-if possible, appropriate a cool Gel
lar to the wine casks exclusively.


Above all things let the wine-makers of
Indiana realize the importance-the ueceSYi-
ty of making their products absolutely pure,
free from any admixture whatever; no sugar,
no alcohol or spirits in any form, should
ever be added to the pure juice of the grape,


- ! -
pede the natural fermentation which is nee
essary to form aclae, properly SO called
Mixtures of sugar to produce alcohol, or to
remain suspended in the wine, of alcohol or
pure spirits, or whisky or brandy, to give
greater strength, are eqally impurities and
Gd,LIterationS of wine, and should never be
allowed to form part of the product of our
vineyards Our winners should not pander
| to vitiated taste, either for sugar or for al
cohol, in their preparations of the juice OF
the vine. Let the people once acquire a
taste for the genuine article, made in perfect
purity, and they will wonder how any one
can be satisfied with the adulterated mix
lures constantly set out as aOine.


Let proper views be entertained as to
what constitutes good wine, and we shall
not be called upon to test the qualities of the
miserable trash so often produced and offer
ed for premiums. In a true wine part oi
the grape sugar has been changed, by the
alchemy of fermentation, into alcohol
which is so happily combined with the re-
naming sugar, held in suspension by the
water of the grape-juice, and so modified
by other products of the grape, that neither
sugar nor alcohal appear to be present
neither predominates-bu mild, pleasant
and moderately exciting beverage il
A.
of sugar, alcohol, tartar, astringents. color


ing-matter, &C., with the peculiar and deli


Gale, but indescribable, aroma and bouquet


constitute the differences that exist among


the numberless wines that are produced. II


this country we have preferred to make ou


wines chiefly from a single grape, from
which it is to derive its character and it


name In Europe it is a common practic


to commingle different varieties of grape il


one wine. We desire especially in this re


port as upon all other suitable occasions


t,er.rirrE tNsti--OrfJ tEI vrof Pur
wines manufactured from our native grapes


to urge upon all the very great importanc


of producing an article that shall be pur
and unmixed with any foreign material.
The natural fermentation of the juice {


the grape, if properly conducted and con
: trolled, will result in a true wine, which





matters as constitutes true wine, but whic


can neither be initiated by human agenc


in mixing these elements ia the synthetic'


manner nor will such a mixture possess Ii


same properties, or produce the same ply s


al effects upon the human frame, as the ma
: ural produce of the fermentation of Il
: grape juice.


9 Our temperance friends have been sever


lv exercised by the existence in our countr
: Of the manufacture of a stimulating beve


age from the grape. We do not desire


take up the general temperance questio
9 nor shall we do so, but having been som
: what behind the scenes, we take the libert
: of advising that pure and properly maj
!. wine, though it may contain a certain p
s centage of alcohol which is capable


being extracted from it, is much mo


harmless in its effects than vi
- mixtures which may be palmed off on the
to as "pure juice" or " the ancient wine
n the " Jewish wine" by those who ha
lg them to SELL and endorsed even by the ge
! Z