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use of colouring matters is forbidden, also the use of any preservative other than
sulphurous acid.
From the French literature it is evident that at times there has been introduced into
wine poisonous metals, either derived from the vessel in which the wine is contained or by
the too liberal use of some solution containing copper, arsenic or lead employed to protect
the grape vine from fungoid diseases or attacks of insects.
The legislation of the United Kingdom concerning wine is as follows:—
In the Revenue Act, 1906, clauses were inserted requiring a licence to be taken out
annually by manufacturers for the sale of British wines or sweets or made wines, authorising
manufacture, the licence costing £1.
This was in consequence of the use of foreign grape must in the manufacture of British
wines; it was alleged that British wines so manufactured were frequently used as the basis
of wines which were passed off as foreign wines. The object of these clauses was to put a
manufacturer of British wines under observation.
In 1908 attention was called to the manufacture of red and white wines, said to contain
26 per cent, and 27 per cent, of spirit respectively, the prices being 1s. 6d. and 1s. 9d. per
gallon for the red wine and 1s. 6d. for the white wine, made presumably at Kingston-onThames
from pure grape juice; these were sold for the purpose of blending with any wine.
The Statutory Rules and Orders, 1906, No. 573 Regulations, dated August 8th, 1906,
made by the Commissioners of the Revenue under the Section 7 (2) of the Revenue Act,
1906, as to licences to be taken out by manufacturers for sale and also as to the manufacture
for sale of British wines or sweets or made wines, require that no person must manufacture
for sale British wines or sweets or made wines without having an excise licence, and for
manufacturers of British wines or sweets or made wines to keep a book in which to enter
full particulars of quantity and description of all materials used for their manufacture,
and to keep an account of quantity and description of British wines or sweets or made wines
manufactured by him.
By Section 10 regulations were issued, coming into force April 1st, 1912, which restricted
within certain specified limits the mixing of British with foreign wines, and prohibited the
sales of wine so mixed unless they were mixed under the conditions prescribed in the regulations;
15 gallons of foreign wine might be mixed with 100 gallons of British wine, and such
blended wine must be sold under the designation of " British wine."
In 1913 in consequence of the decision in the case of the Wine and Spirit Traders
Association, and Messrs. Piper, Ltd., the Chancellor of the Exchequer was asked to consider
the whole question of basis wine, both as regards their manufacture, competition of the
genuine wines, and the loss to the lievenue caused by the sale of duty free so-called British
wiue. This was not gone on with because application had been made to the magistrates to
state a case for a High Court with a view to an appeal from his decision, and until the
result of the application was known Mr. Lloyd George did not think that he could usefully
take any steps in the matter. Since then no further action has been taken. The average
quantity of British fermented wine manufactured yearly is about 2,000,000 gallons.
It should be noted that the legislation of South Australia constitutes a very clear and
definite food standard as regards wine. It mentions those substances which may be added
to wine in different stages of its production and those substances the addition of which is
prohibited.
I have endeavoured to obtain information as to the extent to which the foreign wine
sold in this country is adulterated. On the one hand it would seem that the various practices
which have to be held in check by legislation in foreign countries and the supervision
carried out by the officials appointed for the purposes would almost equally have to be
checked in this country. It might be argued that it would not pay wine importers to pay
the transport charges on wine of an inferior quality; the United States legislation might be
thought to be an indication that wine of an inferior quality is transported even longer
distances than from the Continent to England.
One conclusion can, however, safely be drawn from the consideration of the subject; it
is freely acknowledged that white wines containing sugar are maintained as such by the use
of sulphurous acid. The new regulations as to the use of preservatives will in all probability
contain a restriction on the use of sulphurous acid; when they come iuto force bottles of such
wine should be examined to ascertain that the legal limit is not exceeded.