266. In a dietetic point of view, wines may be arranged into four classes; viz. 1. Sweet Wines; 2. Sparkling or Effervescing; 3. Dry and Light; 4. Dry and Strong.

1. Sweet Wines

Sweet Wines contain the greatest proportion of extractive and saccharine matter, and generally the least ardent spirit, though this is often rather disguised than absent. Since a proportion of sugar has remained unchanged in these wines during the process of vinifi-cation, they must be considered as the results of an imperfect fermentation, and are, in fact, mixtures of wine and sugar; accordingly, whatever arrests the progress of fermentation must have a tendency to produce a sweet wine. Thus, boiling the must, or drying the fruit, will, by partially separating the natural leaven, and dissipating the water, occasion such a result, as is exemplified by the manufacture of the wines of Cyprus, the Vino Cotto of the Italians, and the Vinum Coctum of the ancients; by that of Frontignac, the rich and luscious wines of Canary, the celebrated Tokay, Vino Tinto (Tent of Hungary), the Italian Montefiascone, the Persian Schiras, the Malmsey wines of Candia, Chio, Lesbos, and Tenedos, and those of the other islands of the Archipelago. On account of the sugar contained in such wines, they are liable to become acescent on weak stomachs; but where this is not the case, they are, in small quantities, frequently beneficial to invalids.

1 This observation, however, will only apply to certain wines, and at certain temperatures. In some cases the alcohol, in others the water, will transpire in the greatest proportion.

2. Sparkling Or Effervescing Wines

These are indebted for their characteristic properties to the presence of carbonic acid: they rapidly intoxicate, in consequence of the alcohol which is suspended in, or, more probably, in chemical combination with the gas, being thus applied in a sudden and very divided state to a large extent of nervous surface: for the same reason, their effects are generally as transitory as they are sudden. Independently of the alcohol thus held in solution in the carbonic acid, it is probable that some active aromatic matter is volatilised together with it, and which may account for the peculiar effects produced on some persons by Champagne.

3. Dry And Light Wines

These are exemplified by the more esteemed German wines, as Hock, Rhenish, Mayne, Moselle, Necker, and Elsass; and those highly-flavoured wines, Burgundy, Claret, Hermitage, etc. The former of these wines combine the effect of an acid with that of the spirit. They do not contain any un-combined alcohol, and on that account are to be greatly preferred. Genuine Claret must be considered as the most beneficial of all our vinous liquors; it is well fermented; and, on account of the small proportion of spirit, as well as of extractive, which it contains, it is more salubrious than Port. It has been already observed, that Burgundy appears to hold dissolved some unknown principle of great activity; upon no other supposition can we explain its stimulant properties. A few glasses of this wine will produce heat and headache, which the relative quantity of alcohol in its composition (see the preceding table) will not account for.

4. Dry And Strong Wines, As Madeira, Port, Sherry, Etc

The name sec, corruptly written sack, signifies dry. The sec wine, prepared at Xeres, in Spain, is called, according to our orthography, Sherris, or Sherry. In the manufacture of this wine, lime1 is added to the grapes; a circumstance, observes Dr. Macculloch, apparently conducive to its well-known dry quality, and which, probably, acts by neutralizing a portion of malic or tartaric acid.

267. It is a fact not easily explained, that the stomach is frequently outraged by a wine to which it has not been accustomed; and it is equally true, that a mixture of different wines is a common source of indigestion. The custom of mixing wine with water has its advantages as well as its evils 2. By dilution it frequently proves too little stimulant to the stomach, and runs into a state of acescency. An invalid is also thus liable to deceive himself, by taking more wine than may be consistent with his welfare. Much, however, depends upon the quality of the wine taken; the lighter wines cannot require dilution, while Port is certainly rendered less injurious by the admixture.

1 The sack of Shakspeare was probably Sherry: a conjecture which receives additional strength from the following passage: - "You rogue! here's lime in this Sack too. There is nothing but roguery to be found in villanous man. Yet a coward is worse than a cup of sack with lime in it - a villanous coward!".

2 This custom was a favourite practice amongst the ancients; indeed, to drink wine unmixed was held disreputable, and those who were guilty of such excess were said to act like Scythians. See Henderson on Wines, p. 98. But a question may arise as to the modification thus produced on the intoxicating powers of wine. I suspect that a quantity of wine, in a state of dilution, will be more intoxicating than an equivalent portion of vinous liquor in a more concentrated form.

268. Home-made or domestic wines may be generally considered as injurious to delicate stomachs; they are apt to ferment, and produce indigestion. Cider and Perry are grateful drinks in hot weather; but as they do not contain a sufficient quantity of spirit to prevent their passing into the acetous fermentation in the stomach of an invalid, they should be avoided by those who have any predisposition to indigestion.