GALEN ON ANTIDOTES

Ed. Chart. XIII. [869.] Ed. Bas. II. (425.)

...antidotes. original: δότοις (dotois); the suffix of the word "antidotes" (antidotois), continuing from the previous page. For this reason, one must ensure that the type of wine added is the kind known from experience to be the most stable. It must also be strong and have proven itself over several years so that it will no longer change. Indeed, the weakest and, as one might say, the most watery original: ὑδατωδέστατοι (hydatōdestatoi); wines that are thin, light, and have low alcohol content. of wines, or those that are very harsh, are the most likely of all wines to turn sour. Once they have turned sour during their first years, they remain stable for the remaining time.

The time required for this judgment varies from one wine to another. For watery wines, this process does not take many years. People use the name "watery" for wines that are white in color and thin in consistency, which do not require much water when being mixed for drinking. Because of their nature, these wines do not affect the head, nor do they clearly warm the body. They do not contribute anything visible to digestion in the stomach and veins, nor do they help in nourishing the body. These wines age faster than all other types. Those who are experts in these matters use the term aging original: παλαιοῦσθαι (palaiousthai); in this context, it refers to the chemical transformation or "maturation" of the wine’s qualities. to describe when a wine readily changes into the specific quality of aged wines. This sharpness exists along with a clear heat.