53 / 374
DRINKIS.
B
depend
on
the
vines,
the
soils,
the
exposure
of
the
vineyards,
the
treatment
of
the
grapes,
and
the
mode
of
manufacture.
Tlie
alcohol
^
contained
is
the
leading
characteristic!
In
strong
ports
and
sherries
this
varies
from
about
i6
to
25
per
cent.
It
is
about
7
per
cent,
in
claret,
hock,
and
other
so-called
light
wines.
Wine
containing
about
1
3
per
cent,
of
alcohol
may
be
as-
sumed
to
be
fortified,
as
it
is
called,
with
brandy
or
other
spirit.
The
varieties
of
wine
produced
are
said
to
be
"
almost
endless."
This
great
number
of
wines
is
in
some
measure
owing
to
an
interesting
fact
mentioned
by
Miller
in
his
Organic
Chemistry
(3rd
ed.
p.
187),
who
tells
us
that
a
particular
variety
of grape,
when
grown
upon
the
Rhine,
furnishes
a
species
of
hock
;
the
same
grape,
when
raised
in
the
valley
of
the
Tagus,
yields
Bucellas,
in
which
the
palate
of
a
con-
noisseur
may
possibly
detect
the
flavour
of
hock
;
whilst
in
the
island
of
Madeira
the
same
grape
pro-
duces
the
wine
known
as
Sercial,
which,
though
generally
allowed
to
be
a
delicious
wine,
has
suggested,
it
seems,
to
no
skilled
palate
the
flavour
either
of
Bucellas
or
of
hock.
It
would
therefore
be
more
logical
to
commence
an
article
on
wines
with
an
article
on
the
grapes
from
which
they
are
produced,
but
we
fear
it
would
be
far
^
From
an
Arabic
word
for
antimony,
applied
to
the
eyes,
the
name
is
said
to
have
been
transferred
to
rectified
spirits
(Cg
Hg
O),
It
is
a
liquid
formed
by
fermentation
of
aqueous
sugar
solutions.
Spirit
of
Wine
contains
about
90
per
cent,
of
alcohol.
55
parts
of
alcohol
and
45
of
water
iorm
proof
spirit.
Of
alcohol,
spirits
contain
40-50
per
cent.
;
wines,
7-25
;
ale
and
porter^
6-8
;
small
beer,
1-2.