Turning sour

—The production of too much acid in a wine, is a proof of its containing originally too little alcohol, of its being exposed too largely to the air, or to vibrations, or to too high a temperature in the cellar. The best thing to be done in this case is, to mix it with its bulk of a stronger wine in a le advanced state, to fine the mixture, to bottle it, and to consume it as soon as po ible, for it will never prove a good keeping wine. This distemper in wines formerly gave rise to the very dangerous practice of adding litharge as a sweetener; whereby a quantity of acetate or sugar of lead was formed in the liquor, productive of the most deleterious consequences to those who drunk of it. In France, the regulations of police, and the enlightened surveillance of the council of salubrity, have completely put down this gro abuse. The saturation of the acid by lime and other alkaline bases has generally a prejudicial effect, and injures more or le the vinous flavour and taste.