FORTIFYING. Fortifying is an operation for increasing the strength of Wines by the addition of Spirits. When Spirit is added to Wine for the purpose of fortifying it, the operation is to be called a Vatting, and the casks are to be marked V.-G. O., 23, 1876. Wine cannot be fortified to a greater strength than 40 degrees if intended for home consumption, and in no case must more than 10 per cent. of proof Spirit be added, even if the Wine when fortified is under 40 degrees, unless with the special permission of the Board. Should the Wine after being fortified appear to the officers to contain above 40 per cent. of proof Spirit, they are to cause the same to be tested, and if it should exceed that strength, it is not to be delivered at the Wine duty. If any proof Spirit beyond 10 per cent. be required for fortifying Wine in bond, application must be made to the Board stating the circumstances requiring the additional Spirit to be used, and the officers are to ascertain the strength of the Wine, reporting the same with their observations thereon; if the ap. plication be granted, and the Wine, when fortified, be found to have been raised above 40 per cent., it is not to be delivered at the Wine duty.-G. O., 21, 1858. Application to the Board is necessary in all cases where parties require Wines to be fortified above 40 per cent., the applicants to state for exportation only.—G. O., 70, 1862. Wine which has been fortified after assessment will be retested by the officers previous to delivery for consumption or removal under the warehousing regulations.-G. O., 115, 1860. No Wine which has been fortified with more than 10 per cent. of Spirit be mixed with other Wines for home consumption, without the Board's special permission in each case being first obtained.-G. O., 50 1865. The proportion of 10 per cent. is to be calculated on the quantity of Wine actually in the cask at the time of the operation, and the responsibility of any infraction of the law rests with the practical officers who superintend the operation, the warehousing officers merely sanctioning the use of 10 per cent. of proof spirit.-G. O., 6, 1867. Water must not be added to Wines over-fortified for the purpose of reducing the strength; but they may, with the Board's sanction, be reduced by being mixed with Wines of a lower strength.-B. O., Feby., 1863. It will take more spirit to raise Wine to a required strength than would at first seem necessary, because it is only the differcnce between the strength of the Wine and Spirit that goes to increase the strength of the two combined. Therefore, the stronger the Spirit the greater will be its fortifying power, and vice versa. For instance, 50 gallons of Wine would derive a greater degree of strength from the addition thereto of 10 proof gallons of Spirits at 35 O.P. than it would from the same proof quantity at 10 U.P.; because in the latter case the liquid would be 3.5 gallons more than in the former, while the quantity of alcohol added would be the same in both cases. The following kinds of Spirits may be used for fortifying Wines in bond: Brandy, Foreign Plain Spirits, and British Plain Spirits ; but British Compounded Spirits or any other Spirit artificially flavoured or sweetened cannot be used. The Wine drawn off from the casks in order to make room for the Spirits may also be fortified and remain in bond with the other packages, provided the quantity in the new cask (including the Spirits) is over 20 gallons. If not that quantity, the drawings off must be at once cleared for duty, as an illegal package.-G. O., 6, 1877. Prior to fortifying, the casks are re-gauged; and after the Spirits have been added they are re-dipped, and the new ullages and letter V marked on the front heads of the casks. After the Spirits have been added the Wine should be well stirred before the testing sample is drawn. Only a few of the large ports are supplied with the Wine testing apparatus, and of Wine fortified at the other ports a sample must be sent to the nearest testing port. The samples are to be forwarded from a "non-testing" to a "testing" port, under the following regulations, viz. :— 1st.-A request in writing to be inade by the merchant to the collector or principal officer, setting forth the particulars as to import marks, &c., of the casks of Wine, of which samples are required to be forwarded for testing, on receipt of which the principal officer is to direct the necessary samples to be drawn-(each sample to be in a 3-gill bottle, G. O., 117, 1860)-by or in the presence of the proper officer-viz., one sample of each import mark, or more if deemed necessary. 2nd. That such samples, when drawn, be sealed by the principal officer, placed in a box or other convenient package, and forwarded under seals of office by railway or other conveyance to the nearest or most convenient testing port--it being understood that whatever port be selected as the most convenient, the same is to be deemed the testing port for the port. 3rd. That a letter of advice be sent by post to the collector at the testing port, who is to return the document as soon as practicable, noting thereon the class under which the duty on Wine should be assessed-the sample to be retained at the testing port. 4th. The expense of providing bottles, cases, &c., and forwarding samples, to be borne by the Crown-empty packages being returned free of expense for carriage to the port from whence sent.-G. O., 115, 1860. British Wines in cask intended for immediate exportation may be fortified with Spirit in bond, subject to the following regulations:-That the Wine be brought in cask to a bonded warehouse duly approved for the purpose, and that it be neither manufactured or bottled and labelled in bond, the operation to be performed in the presence of the proper officers, and the Spirits added not to exceed 10 per cent. When so fortified to be delivered for exportation only, and the quantity of Spirits mixed therewith to be endorsed on the shipping bill.—G. O., 48, 1861. The cask containing the Spirits used in fortifiying is also re-gauged prior to and after the fortifying operation, and the quantity drawn off shewn on the red slip. A drawback of 2d per gallon on British Plain Spirits used in fortifying may be claimed by the merchant.-G. O., 62, 1864. RULES FOR FINDING THE QUANTITY OF SPIRITS REQUIRED IN FORTIFYING WINE. 1. To find the quantity of proof Spirits required to fortify Wine to a given strength. RULE.-Multiply the difference between the present strength and the required strength by the number of gallons of Wine, and divide by the difference between the required strength and 100. Example.-A merchant wishes to fortify 114 gallons of Wine at 35 degrees, so as to raise the whole to 40 degrees, how many gallons of proof Spirits are required? 100 40 = 60) 570 (94 proof gallons required quantity. 540 30 60 ON THE HEAD ROD. Set 5 (the difference between the present strength 35, and the required strength 40) on line B, to 60 (the difference between the required strength and 100) on the line A, and under 114 gallons (the quantity of Wine to be fortified), on line A will be found 9.5 (the proof Spirits required) on line B. 60 5 114 A B 2. To find the number of liquid gallons of Spirits at a given strength necessary in a fortifying operation. RULE.-Multiply the difference between the required strength and the present strength by the quantity of Wine, and divide by the difference between the required strength and the strength of the Spirits. Example.-A merchant wishes to fortify 57 gallons of Wine at 32 degrees, so as to raise the whole to 40; how many gallons of Spirits at 25 O.P. are required? Set 8 on line B to 85 on line A, and under 57 on line A will be found 5 on line B. * 125 85= 40 degrees, strength of the Wine. 3. To find the strength to which Wine has been raised when fortified with Spirit at a given strength. RULE.-Multiply the difference between the present strength and the strength of the Spirit by the quantity of Wine before the operation, and divide by the quantity of Wine after the operation. |