Year: 1860




the right proportions. The grape comes
the nearest. TO. containing all the requi.
sites for a good wine; and yet, il, is no.
thing uncommon that other ingredients
are added to its juices in the production
of some of the finer wines of commerce,
The element most in demand for admix-
ture with the juices Of fruits in the pro-
duction of wines, is sugar. The grape,
in many Of It's varieties, contains large
quantities of sugar; whilst many of the
more sharply acid fruits contain but little.
Sugar is more indispensable in the pro-
duction of most wines, not only to give
them the requisite sweetness where a
sweet wine is desired, but also furnish
ing material-to be converted into alcohol
by the process Of fermentation, thereby
giving to the wine the requisite body of
strength. There are some fruits tat
contain but little sugar, but large propor-
items of starch and gluten, that produce
spirit by fermentation, and wines from
such fruits, whilst containing sufficient
strength to enable them to keep any Pc
riod of time and even improve by age,
may yet lack sufficient sweetness to make
them a palatable wine.


The goosebprry has long been in use
for the production of an imitation cham
pagne wine, and so closely is it made to
resemble the genuine article, good Judges
are. often deceived. Within tbe last FIVE
years, the Juice of the leaf stalks of the
lhubarb or pie plant has taken the place
Of the gooseherry TO large extent in the
manufacture of champagne, as well as
some of the finer quality of still wines,
both light and heavy, the differences in
the. process of manufacturing and the pro-
portion of sugar used, and its quality,
determining, 10 a very great extent, the
quality of wine produced. With nearly
all the juices of themore acid fruits, GER
tain quantity Of waller as well as sugar.
is supplied in preparing it for fermtnta-
non. The proper proportion will vary
as the expressed juice is found to be
more or less dense or thick. Thus in all
cases, nearly, where the juices of fruits
other than grapes are. used, the proper
portion should be nearly as follows One
gallon of fruit juice TO one gallon of wa
ter, and three pounds of sugar to each
gallon of mixture. Very good currant
wine is made by adding two gallons Of
water to one gallon of juice, and three
pounds of sugar to each gallon Of mix
ture, Two pounds and a half of sugar
will make a very fair wine, but it will not
contain as much body as when larger
quantity is used,


Rhubarb juice can be mixed with an
equal quantity of water, and the addition
of three pounds Of sugar to eacL gallon
of the mixture will produce a good wine.
If more than about three pounds of SUI
gar are used, too much of it remains un-
changed by the fermentation, and the
fermentation, and the WINE is too sweet
for 1st palates. 1t will be observed
that almost any of the juices of fruits,
with the addition of water and sugar IN
the proportions of from one to two gal
Ions of water to one of juice, and from
two and a half to three and half pounds
Of sugar to sugar to each gallon of the
mixture, will form the basis for variety
of excellent domestic wines. Ferment
in casks nearly full with the bung laid
lightly into the bunghole till the kissing
of the fermentation has nearly subsided
say in from two to four weeks-then
set in the bung moderately tight. It
few months, it will be in fair condition
for use. OF course an infinite variety Of
tasts and conditions can be given to such
wines, depending on the quality and kind
of fruit used, and the manner in which
the fermentng process is Conducted
Kentucky Frmer.