Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-02-14
THE DAILY TIMES
CHAMPAGNE.


because no railway has yet been made to this an
Gent town of Rheims, that so few travellers
leave the great iron highway between Strasburg
and Paris to visit what is PROFESSIONALLY the
finest Gothic edifce north Of the Alps. And yet
it is not difficult of access Diligences of the
true French breed, constructed to carry any
quantity of merchandise and passengers, arc in
waiting on the arrival of the trains from Epernay;
and their drivers, in their universal blue blouse,
are certainly not sparing of their voices or whips
in urging their rough teams up the steep hill,
from the summit of which the cathedral of
Rheims appears like huge pyramid towering
over the surrounding town. But, if merciless
time does not control the tourist, he will do we'll
to pause at Epernay before proceeding to Rheims,
for the purpose Of seeing the iarfamed champagne
establishment of Messrs. Moet and Chandon,
which is shown to strangers with the greatest
liberality. Not being fast traveller, and
having no ambition to chronicle or declare that
had done Rheims and Champagne in day, I
determined on sleeping at Epernay, where there
is a most comfortable inn, and visiting the head
quarters of champagne in the morning They
lie just without the town, on the slope of gen
tie hill, which, like all those round Epernay is
covered with the famous champagne vines. The
entrance is through h ndsome pair of iron
gates, within which stands M. Meets house. in
which Napoleon, not le Petit, but he whose name
to rule France, slept at the time of the bat
tie of Montmirail, in 1914. Great pains were
taken to make me aware of this important fact
but do not see how it can we'll escape the visi-
tors knowledge, as huge slab, placed imme
diately over the entrance to the cellars, records
in glazing golden letters the imperial visit, not
only to M. Meets house, but to his wine vaults.
But it does not inform US whether the victory of
Montmirail, and the dashing and daring deeds of
the Emperor, were due to potations of cham.
payne. The cellars are entered by flight of
steps cut in the chalk rock. They are extremely
vast, extending upwards of a mile under the hill,
lined by vinous walls. They always contain
several millions of bottles; and it was curious to
contemplate the huge army of long. necked
TASKS. with their shining silver helmets, each
containing valiant devil and to think Of the
terrible havoc that they would make some day
scattering the brains and good resolutions of man
and womanknd to the Winds that is, presuming
they do not come to a premature and inglorious
end, wasting their sweetness not on the desert
air, but in the humid caverns where they are
tenderly laid side by side. Unlike his Lustanan
brother, who mellows by age, becoming softer
and milder as time clothes him with venerable
beard, he, native of glorious Champagne, FREE
quently dsdains to have his fixing spirit pent up
with the narrow confines of bottle, and, refl-
sing to bide his time, which might have in store
for him the enviable destiny of being pressed by
the lips of blushing ballroom belle, bursts his
crystal prison. and signs his last on the ground of
this dreary vault. And it is worthy of note that,
as all great deeds are Immediately initiated, the
example set by a rebellious and hasty cham
payne flask is by no meaus lost ON the multitude
nous tribe that lies around. Pop-pop-fzz-
fzz-splash--pop-.crash-bang you would ina
CINE all the devils in the cauldron of the French
repu6laque sociale of AID. 18-Q leave you
readers to add the fgures) were let loose; and,
believe me, no revolution could strike greater
terror into the hearts of Mesrs. Meet and Chan
don than this rebellion among their bottles
Troops of men clothed in defensive armor, are
sent down to the Internal regions to quell the in
surrection. [ am only stating the truth; for,
when the explosions are frequent and the break
age abundant, the workmen who are despatched
to suppress the disturbance wear wire masks
to protect themselves from the broken glass,
which is projected shell-fashion with con-
siderable force. So disastrous are these ex-
blossoms that 1 was informed on one memo
rabe occasion upwards of 100000 bottles
were lost before sufficient quantity of ice could
be thrown into the cellars to lower the high tenn
perature, which caused excessive fermentation.
In all years certain loss arises from the latter
cause, although the greatest care is taken to re-
ject all bottles which are not strong and of uni
form thickness. The estimated average of loss
from breakage is twenty per cent; it varies, how
ever, according to the temperature of the season,
from five to forty. All the manufacturing opera
tions are carried on in the absence of daylight.
to's workmen than for those of the rosy god of
wine. Like miners, they carry candle with
them, and by its light perform their work. Day
light is nowhere admitted into the vaults. The
grapes which are used in the manufacture of
champagne wine are small and very sweet, and
not gathered until they are perfectly ripe. Few
sights are more beautiful than an abundant vim
tage, when coudless sky smiles upon the mer-
riest harvest of the year, and the golden vine
yards are peopled with peasants, happy, because
the weather is fine and the vintage is good. Then
are the roads full of fine donkeys, bearing heaps
of luscious grapes to the streaming wine-presses,
who seem proud of their race being sacred to
Bacchus. The classical reader will remember
that, when the latter had grown up, Hera, who
was jealous of his mother, and bore no love to
wards her son, threw him into a state of mad
ness, during which he wandered through many
countries of the earth, until his progress was ar
rested by lake, which prevented his proceeding
any further. One of two asses he met there car
rled him across the water, and the god was so
grateful as to place both animals among the stars,
and henceforward asses remained sacred to the
yinous god. The juice remains in the cask about
four months, when it is bottled Now common {
ces a series of very delicate operations. EaSh
bottle is placed ,withits neck downwards, in long
racks, having holes cut for tie purpose add 1T is
shaken occasionally in order to deta", the sedi-
ment from the sides, and to causo 1T to subside
into the neck. When this effec' is produced, the
wire retaining the cork is cr'' and the cork and
sediment are driven out ~ the carbonc acid gas.
The greatest dexteritv IS required on the part of
the workman to p,s rid of the sediment without
wasting the VIE. The bottle is then filled up
with pure vine, recorked, and restacked. The
operation is termed disgorging, and is repeated
until no sediment remains On the last occasion
tho wine receives dose of liqueur, which is pre-
pared with great care, and is perfectly pure. 1t
consists of sugar candy dissolved in white wine
or ordinary champagne, and in red wine for
pink. But, from the information that received,
apprehend that for the English market, petit
oupcOM Of brandy is added the English nalate