The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-10-06
From the London Saturday ReUielU !
LNIl Il N OH IL

At present there are some twelve or thirteen
thousand vineyard proprietOrs The vine growing
districts are divided into the Coteaux, the Graves
and the Palus. The CoteauX are the mountain
slopes, often steep that they could be applied to
other purpose, and generally composed of mari,
chalk and argiaceous substances, so badly mixed
near the summit as to offer very serious impedi-
ments 10 cultivation. The Graves are plains of
diluvian origin, consisting of sand, pebbles and
gravel, intermixed if by the rapid action of
current of water. The Paus are deep, fat soils,
apparently the slow-formed sediment of standing
water, and the wines made in these show remark
able fitness for transportation, and are sent in
large quantities to India and America. Many of
the communes have European celebrity. The
Medoc district lies between the Gironde river and
the Gulf of GascOny and is devoted exclusively to
the production of the finest qualities. The COM
mune of Blanquefort is noted for delicious, dry,
white wine, and the red wines of this region are
free from that earthly flavor which is the common
defect of wines raised on the plain. The neghbor-
ing canton of Cantenac is also famous for the soft
and bouquet of its wines, and to the South lies
Margaux, on fnty gravel where about 1000
tuTs are raised annually.
The celebrated estate of Chateau Margaux pro-
duces rather more than 100 tuns, and is eagerly
welcomed all over the Continent. The Champagne
district comprises the Ardennes, Marne, Aube and
Haute Marne In the Marne, the product of the
reimbursement of Epernay is calculated at the
value of three million francs per annum-that of
Reims at six milon-that of Vitry at nearly a
million and half The best red wines go to the
Low Countries, Prussia, and the Rhenish Provinces
the Sillery comes principally to England. Here
the greatest care is necessary; every imperfect
grape is excluded, and every rough motion guard
ed against. The must, having been pressed, Is
turned into a vat for some hours to deposit its
grosser lees it is then allowed to ferment, and by
Christmas, when the fermentation is well over, and
the weather dry and frosty, the wine is racked and
fined These processes are repeated at different IN
tervals, according the wine is intended to be
nousseur or still. The process of botting is ex-
lv
is very eapricious about becoming effervescent-
Sometimes the desired change takes place in a
fortnight, sometimes not for many weeks. Some
times when it has obstinately withstood every at
tempt for length of time, it will become spark
ling without the least apparent reason. The bot
tng is done by workmen in sets OF five, called ate
Tiers, each man having his own portion OF the task
NJ. Moet, at Epernay, has seldom less than half a
million bottles to be thus filled, and often ten atd-
hers at work at the same time.
The bottles, when filled, are carried into vaults
excavated in the chalk rock, and here numbers ex'
plode from the formation OF carbonic acid gas
Sometimes, in July and August, the explosions
have been known to range as high as 40 per cent.
of the whole number. The proprietor generally
acuuiesces in the loss of per cent, but after that
stage the gas is considered to be becoming ''furi-
ous" the bottles are taken wn, placed in alower
cellar, flooded with cold water, and sometimes un-
corked. In September the breakage ceases, and
in October another process is commenced. A de-
post has by this time formed in the bottles, and to
days, and slightly tapped at intervals. This dis
engages the deposit, and makes it fall on the cork
clever workman then cuts the fastenings, lets off
the cork, which carries the deposit along with it,
and fresh one is then inserted before the wine has
time to escape. If wine is kept long, it is some
times subjected to several of these dcgagements,
whereby greater purity is obtained ard its cosli-
ness of course seriously enhanced.
The only other district we can notice is that OF
Drome which is the native soil of Hermitage
Real Hermitage is made from the Scyras, Per-
sian grape, and is found the hills from st. Val
lier to Tain. 1t goes improving for ten or tit-
teen years, and is generally not bottled till it is i've
or six years old. The white Hermitage is made
from the Roussanne grape, and is extraordinarily
slow in the process of fermentation. The annual
WELD of real white Hermitage is probably not more
than I2O casks of 2l0 litres apiece. 1t will keep
perfectly good for century, though, after thirty
years its perfume and taste slightly modified
The straw Hermitage is the best of the French
de liqueur. The most perfect grapes are chosen
and laid to dry upon straw for five or six weeks;
they then plucked from the stems and carefully
pressed. Little off is made, and its price is
nous, from the frequent failures against which the
manufacturer has to contend, since it is only wher
the grape is in particular stage of maturity, and
the weather precisely suitable, that Ermitage-
Paille can be successfully produced.