FRENCH WINES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 968, 13 June 1883, Page 4

FRENCH WINES.

Drinkers of French wines, and they are many, will be.interested ;luv|Ke/fol- ■ lowing statement of analyses bfSfihes made at the Municipal Laboratory of Paris, for although all wines and liquors imported into France are subject to analysis at the Customs before delivery to the importers, so that if found adulterated they are not admitted to entry, there is no inspection or examination of wines exported. According to the following figures it would be well for consumers if some examination did exist. In 1881 3,001 samples were

analysed, the result being that 279 jwerefound-to-be- good; -gpirpassable, and -1,731 bad, while in the first five gmontps of tl)e past;year 1*869 samples were analysed, out of which 372 rweregood, 683 passable, and 814 bad/ x'4s Qf these latter ..fading pro-' T ? e American Consul in Pans calls the attention of bjs .Government to the v - i flOT^Sßf ,l % ,ll ’wHicK , wines are

adulterated otherwise than by ; mixing stronger wines jof brandy, .such pixing iipt being ' prejudicial * to health. A liquid is largely .sofjd,. as wine .which,, is manufacturdow water, vinegar and logwood, with a tenth.partqf common* wine frpra the south bf France to cover tne fraud. Not only is wine falsified by adding cider, sugar, molasses, sulphuric, tartaric, acetic or.tarric acids, lifne, alum, bitter almonds, leaves cherrylaurel, etc., but it,, is,largely manufactured without the. slightest pretence of being associated * with the grape. M'he result of the fermentation of the juice of tbqtgrape is imitated by fermentation sugared substance such as syrup of fecula, dried fruits and raw sugar, of 5 jumper berries/ corriander seeds and fresh rye bread. After fermentation.’ the liquor -is ■ racked off, and if it iquioti.sufficiently colored,

an of n red ,-bfiet .or . myrtle berries ,is added- In ordep .to; correct f! makers, are-unscrupu-lops enough to use . litharge, thus dWrAlnp’in' the drinker’s the probable M''afttick ; of colic. In* the .idepaitmeuts of Heraulp Pyrenees and Var, lime is used to heighten the color .gg/h&wine and reduce; the lees, but by so doing chemical changes supervene with the effepi of, a purgativq and .even corrosive Mature to the. liquid. .Allum tised ’ t'o; produce the which 1 belongs to Bourdeaux r wjpes tM Theeoloring, matters generally l)S£d,.4?e dw ar f and black elderberries, ’myrtle and phytolacca. berries, Brazil .and Capopeachy wood, beet juice, rose TSi&llow,' cochineal, fuchsine or aniline red., and more .especially .grepat, the 'rfewdue of the fabrication of fiichsine, of red T or viojpt aniline and .rose aniline 1M& df the coloring, wine tinctures sold under fancy names contain arsenic. The most successful of all these coloring matters' is- the brown grenat, which imitates as much as possible the natural color of wine, while its -nearly;the same. The logwood appears to be most in favor in the Pans manufacture of wine, ea it gives young-wine the color of the old, while beet, fuchsine and cochineal arebtheJ iff- the -sbiith of France, and the elderberry is most used in Portugal arid Spain. This 9WWF Ihe advanpf being of a purgative character, and;xthnsn jhirij.td kill; two birds with one stone—-London Times. ,, ■;T 1£ M ’IMTt »■f.IOJJ-