What is "birch wine"

Wine \Wine\, n. [OE. win, AS. win, fr. L. vinum (cf. Icel. v[=i]n; all from the Latin); akin to Gr. o'i^nos, ?, and E. withy. Cf. Vine, Vineyard, Vinous, Withy.]

1. The expressed juice of grapes, esp. when fermented; a beverage or liquor prepared from grapes by squeezing out their juice, and (usually) allowing it to ferment. ``Red wine of Gascoigne.''
   --Piers Plowman.

   Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
   --Prov. xx. 1.

   Bacchus, that first from out the purple grape Crushed the sweet poison of misused wine.
   --Milton.

   Note: Wine is essentially a dilute solution of ethyl alcohol, containing also certain small quantities of ethers and ethereal salts which give character and bouquet. According to their color, strength, taste, etc., wines are called red, white, spirituous, dry, light, still, etc.

2. A liquor or beverage prepared from the juice of any fruit or plant by a process similar to that for grape wine; as, currant wine; gooseberry wine; palm wine.

3. The effect of drinking wine in excess; intoxication.

   Noah awoke from his wine.
   --Gen. ix. 2

4. Birch wine, Cape wine, etc. See under Birch, Cape, etc. Spirit of wine. See under Spirit. To have drunk wine of ape or To have drunk wine ape, to be so drunk as to be foolish. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Wine acid. (Chem.) See Tartaric acid, under Tartaric. Wine apple (Bot.), a large red apple, with firm flesh and a rich, vinous flavor. Wine fly (Zo["o]l.), small two-winged fly of the genus Piophila, whose larva lives in wine, cider, and other fermented liquors. Wine grower, one who cultivates a vineyard and makes wine. Wine measure, the measure by which wines and other spirits are sold, smaller than beer measure. Wine merchant, a merchant who deals in wines. Wine of opium (Pharm.), a solution of opium in aromatized sherry wine, having the same strength as ordinary laudanum; -- also Sydenham's laudanum. Wine press, a machine or apparatus in which grapes are pressed to extract their juice. Wine skin, a bottle or bag of skin, used, in various countries, for carrying wine. Wine stone, a kind of crust deposited in wine casks. See 1st Tartar, 1. Wine vault.

   1. A vault where wine is stored.

   2. A place where wine is served at the bar, or at tables; a dramshop.
      --Dickens.

      Wine vinegar, vinegar made from wine.

      Wine whey, whey made from milk coagulated by the use of wine.

Birch \Birch\ (b[~e]rch), n.; pl. Birches (-[e^]z). [OE. birche, birk, AS. birce, beorc; akin to Icel. bj["o]rk, Sw. bj["o]rk, Dan. birk, D. berk, OHG. piricha, MHG. birche, birke, G. birke, Russ. bereza, Pol. brzoza, Serv. breza, Skr. bh[=u]rja. [root]254. Cf. 1st Birk.]

1. A tree of several species, constituting the genus Betula; as, the white or common birch ( Betula alba) (also called silver birch and lady birch); the dwarf birch ( Betula glandulosa); the paper or canoe birch ( Betula papyracea); the yellow birch ( Betula lutea); the black or cherry birch ( Betula lenta).

2. The wood or timber of the birch.

3. A birch twig or birch twigs, used for flogging.

   Note: The twigs of the common European birch (B. alba), being tough and slender, were formerly much used for rods in schools. They were also made into brooms.

   The threatening twigs of birch.
   --Shak.

4. A birch-bark canoe. Birch of Jamaica, a species ( Bursera gummifera) of turpentine tree. Birch partridge. (Zo["o]l.) See Ruffed grouse. Birch wine, wine made of the spring sap of the birch. Oil of birch.

   1. An oil obtained from the bark of the common European birch ( Betula alba), and used in the preparation of genuine (and sometimes of the imitation) Russia leather, to which it gives its peculiar odor.

   2. An oil prepared from the black birch ( Betula lenta), said to be identical with the oil of wintergreen, for which it is largely sold.