Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Wine, Wholesomeness of.—" Sweet wines," says Dr.T. J. Graham, "are nourishing, and may sometimes be useful to the weak and convalescent, but they are not so wholesome as the wines in more common use. The acid wines, as the Rhenish and hock, are the least heating, and the most diuretic, and well calculated for consumption in hot weather. All thin or weak wines, however, though of an agreeable flavour, yet from their containing little spirit, are readily disposed to become acid in the stomach. But it ought to be observed that with some delicate persons the best Rhenish wines agree very well, and are less liable to ferment than many of the stronger wines. The dry and strong wines, such as sherry, madeira, 7b and marsala, and the dry and light, as burgundy, claret, and hermitage, are the most wholesome : they are more cordial than the acid ones, and can be taken with safety in greater quantities than the sweet. The gentle astringency in genuine claret renders it in the opinion of many 1 on the whole the most wholesome of any strong liquor whatsoever to be drunk plentifully. Port is a strong astringent wine, and, when not mixed with more than a very small portion of brandy, is generous and stomachic, and well suited to the generality of British constitutions in tolerable health. It is well calculated for cold and moist weather ; but, like other red wines, is apt to occasion costiveness. Sparkling brisk wines, as champagne, inebriate more speedily than the stiller wines, but the morbid excite- ' ment is of short duration, and the subsequent ' exhaustion is comparatively trifling. In feverish habits, burgundy, port, and the stronger white wines, are to be avoided. To those who have a disposition to corpulence, claret, hock, or moselle, on account of their diuretic properties, are preferable to every other kind of wine for daily use. The moderate use of wine is safe, and often highly beneficial to those who have passed the meridian of life, but to young persons it is almost invariably pernicious. Children in tolerable health are never strengthened, but always injured, by it. As a tonic and stomachic to the aged, three or four moderate-sized glasses of good wine after dinner ought to be sufficient for most men." Wines. — Recipes for many home-made wines are given in the immediately preceding pages. Recipes for the following will be found under their respective headings : — Apricot Ginger, Superior Aromatic Gooseberry, Eifer- BlRCH VESCINO Blackberry Gooseberry, Still Black-currant Grape, Sparkling Champagne, Currant Herbs, Wine op Champagne, English Jelly, Weak, for In- Claret, Mulled valids Cowslip Lemon Currant, Black Lemon, quickly made Currant, Red Malmsey Currant, White Malmsey, Scotch Currant, from Un- May RIPE Fruits Mulled Damson Orange Dandelion Parsnip (simple way) Egg Raisin Elder Raisin with Cider Frontignac Raspberry Ginger Shallot Vine Leaves WineSj, Alcohol in.— The quantity of alcohol existing in different wines may be seen from the following table drawn up by Mr. Brande : — Names of the Winex, Malt and Spirituous Liquors, and fhe proportion of Alcohol (specific gravity 0'825) in, one hundred parts of these liquids by measure. Lissa (average) . . . .25-41 Marsala (average) . . . . 25'09 Port (average) . . . -vj-'jo ;Madeira and Red or Bui'gundy ) Madeira (average) . . ji !3-39 WIN