The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-12-24

champagne manufactured, arc sready pressing them
for q settlement, the usual custom being TO give them
years credit In order correct und rtanding and
appreciation oil the important question at issue,
fow relative To tho fracture Of champagne wine
must DO known. 1t should DO borns 10 mind that the
wiae The champagne district Is divided into inn
number or little tracts Of land which the grape
Of then mot sn % .a S
and they and their families devote their time and labor
70 delicate and attention which the culture OF
the champagne grape requires II may be u.ntioned,
en- that the grape from which he sparkling wines
are made s not as believe Is generally supposed
white one. but is little black grape, smaller but
shaped like the Isabella growing upon staned little
vine which never rises above Inc neghs o. three ise
autumn vintage growing upon Mo new wood Tho grape
itself is excellent and very fruity IN favor But
perhaps oneeshth is used in the composition Of cham
payne There four DRESSINGS Of the grape and four
categores OF made Tho Grst two that
mono or very little OF the colong matter which resides
IN the skin OF the grape Is permitted TO mingle with the
juice and that which does disappears with the fermenia
t.n or these two dressings sparkling wine y made
while the which fol produce red Wines which
left STILL The third pressing In which the skins arc al
latter s cooring matter results 10 very fair dTnkabls
red wIne which the .viE du pays COMMONLY used
here at table The fourth and last pressing produces
stuff which neither gods mon can abide, and WHOM
| Is. sold TO and reailed in the low cabareS.
In the early times Of the champagne culture and man
ufacture the makers owned thor yiney and grew
themselves the grapes from whch they made the wne
Now however, this systen Is all changed The Widow
Ciquot indeed and Messrs Met and Chaudon stnl
the propro,ors OF extensive tracts Of vine growing
lands but not sufficient to produce all tho wines they
| manufacture Most Of tho other vino firms grow no
grapes al ALL but all purchase OF tho little prOprietors
and the same grape accessible 10 all the wine mannfnc
turer No particular brand Of champagne Is made nom
the grape grown any particular locality but all cham
,agne wines manufactured from mixture Of the
wines taken the various sections of the champagne
district Neither these mixtures made In accord
ance with any established receipt by any particular
rule, the object OF mixing being simply to impart TO
the compound tho different desirable qualities Of ts
various Ingredients, and all Of which single OF
| them possesses Thus, the wines OF Vefzcnay and
Bouzy strong, and impart body 70 the mixture,
while that OF Ay and other localities s finer and lighter
and gives deiccy of flavor and bouquet or aroma to
the wine. The properties OF the mixtures
also vary IN various seasons depending upon ,e more
only by the taste and judgment OF the manufacturer
This the secret of the different wine manufacturers Of
champagno All the vh os brands are or at least may
be manufactured OF the same grape, and their various
navors depend alone upon tho manner IN which the
| wines combined in them.
Thesmanner OF delivering and receiving the grapes
from the ssvignerons" Is very primitive and rather
business Ike They bring the grapes in baskets,
packed the backs or mules, ~ tho presses where
they are measured in tb about the sizo OF half barrel
the being known as cocqa, and holding about
| one hundr i French hundred and ten English
pounds a record made OF the quality received from each
proprietor but receipt or voucher OF any description
gwen at the end Of six months the vgneron calls upon
tile manufacturer and is paid onoha the amount due.
claiming the remainder only at the expiration of the
year This year, however said before, they are
cash payments for their produce which demand the
manufacturers fad 1t difficult 10 mect-sucR house az
Piper Co., with claim Of $500 600 hanging over it,
| finding itself entirely Invested Of credit
The eoo of these seizures in New York and San Fran
cisco has boon almost to bring the wine exporting bust
ness 50 Gar as United States concerned to a<tand
still l Was informed by of the prime pal wine
dealers here that, whereas, in ordinary normal times
the annual quantity of champagne VINE shipped to the
Unit d States amounted 70 two millions Eve hundred
thousand bottles; that from April 1864, 70 the same
month in this year. not more than thousand
early part of september of the present year,
the expectation had considerably increased beyond
any quarter Of the previous year. the merchants here
eve. that amicabe settlement would be made ia the
San Francisco cao, and the trade was rapidly returning
to its nora! condition. the closing OF the war naturally
giving ii a nov activity, when again Il has been
about rely suspended and the merchants here thrown
into terrible condition OF excitement and confusion by
ciscu and the commencement OF tho New York suits
To be sure under the present tariff which Is virtually
imposes specific duty OF dollars per dozen upon
champagne Wines there s'probaby foar OF any fur
ther seizures those already mnae being retroactive in
their Effects the charge. OF fraud by undcrvauaton
running back for several years st the merchants
man uucurers with these immense claims hanging
them do not fool disposed TO risk their property 70 the
the Affair the result will be TO remove the champagne
trade With the United States from the hands Of we'll
known dealers into those or irresponsible firms,
who Will make you pay much and perhaps
more for very inferior quality Of vino. Another Of
feet will doubtless DO tho price o. the homo
product The Jersey cider brand, and o,hers which
woald be Justified In augmcntng the price Of their
qile compounds, account Of dminut0n the inn
ports of the genuine article would b. the manuac.
rcrs OF mock turtle soup in raising thor prices
count OF q failure OF tho Galapagos turtle crop.
have thus attempted TO prepare the way, by little
preliminary information for full understanding and
appreciation of the question It exists between tho
champagne manufacturers here and your Custom House
authorities The former Indignantly dfscaim charge
which brands whole community OF merchants whose
well known throughout the world, with de-
Iberate fraud They acknowledge that there 10 differ
enco and important one, between your government
and them; not that this difference arises from diff
ference OF Interpretation and an ignorance OF the
facts in the on the part OF yeur government.
perfectly right ana above suspicion The statements
OF fact, and tho arguments by which they excuIpae
themselves from what they consider the sweeping and
unjust charges Of the United States customs authorities
and which have obtained by means ef free informal
conversations with one Of the principal wine merchants
of this place, will form the subject OF another letter
Tho wine merchants here held a meeting few weeks
since aud decided 10 present their to the French
H. Werle, Mayor Of Rheims and representative in the
Corps Lcgisatf and H. do ST. Marceaux the head Of the
Arm OF that name, aud both exceedingly able menwas
appointed To draw representation OF the facts and
arguments in the whole case, 10 DO presented TO M.
Dr0uyn de Lhuys in the hope OF enecting Rmcable
arrangement Of this important matter with govern
ment and OF 80 arranging matters that there can he
MISUNDERSTANDING difficulty in the future. This d0cu-
lient -, am Informed nearly completed, and will be-
presented by b. Werle and n. de St. Marceauk to the
Minister Of Foreign Affairs in tho carly Part Of the coming
weex.
Our Rhoims Core spondenoe.
RHmMs, DErARTMEvr or LA MARSs !
ANCIENT provinces or CHAMPAGNE Oct. 10, 1896.
This Fears VintogeSaperior Quantity and Quality o
wine-High Prices Realized for Grapes Wine and
Land-7Ae Vin,aoe al vrsenay-The Champaign,
r..s. tn. d. n,~.. AZ rhc..~o~r.