7 AUGUST 1869, Page 23

Pare Wine, and Row to Know It. By J. L.

Denman. The chapters. on the processes of wine- king, on what ought and what ought not to- take place in them, are woTth reading. The perfect fermentation of wine. means that all the sugar in it is changed to alcohol. If there is much sugar, as there would ho in the growths of hot climates, a high alcoholic- strength would be reached. It seems that in port and sherry the' fermentation is checked ; part of the sugar is thus retained, and the' alcoholic strength is obtained by the addition of spirits. As this spirit never combines with the wine, we have thus in it and in the sugar two unwholesome elements. Mr. Denman believes that the Greek wines are the best substitute that can be found for them. Their alcoholic strength averages about twenty-four per cent., i.e., twelve per cent, of pure alcohol. The strength of port and sherry is raised by additions of spirit to more than twenty per cent. The purer winos of France vary from eleven per cent, in hermitage to about seven in claret. Those who. have tried the Greek wines without a very satisfactory result should. remember that there are two things against them, both of which time will cure ; firstly, the vicious taste produced by a long course of drinking brandied wines, and, secondly, their want of age ; to which possibly may be added a third, also certain to be removed by greater demand, a want of skill in the manufacture.