The New York herald., 1865-11-13
G n A M p A & " { .
HOW IT Is MADE AND TAXED.
The Quarrel Between the United sia'ss Cns-
taus and the French Wine Merchants.
interesting Facts for Champagne
Drinkers.
&C. &c. &C.
Our Rheims CorrespOndence.
RHEIMS, DEPARrkESr OF LA MARNK, I

France. Oct l2 1896.
n, Question B4,reen The Champagne Aansacturers and
ne Uaitsd States Customs Authorlties-What the Later
ahayoe-WAat the Wine Merchants Stcedr To--The
Whole Gut Of the Mater-No Trade IN Champagne
re-No Market Vdiue'' to Manufactured Wines
Process Of Manufacturing Champagne-Ho1 the Wine
Merchants Interpret "Pir Courants' and Their Redsoss
for So Doing-What Bottle Of Champagne Costs in
RAetms-Interesing Figures for Champagne Drink
srx, DC, dc.
In a previous letter attempted by some general in
regard to the character OF the manufacture
champagne wnc prepare the for an understand
ing the grave question which has arisen between the
United authorities and the wine manufac
surers Of district In the elaboration Of this II will be
necessary give the statements OF facts and the
arguments which they believe excupate them from all
blame in the matter. as get them from some OF the
prominent champagne manufacturers here They are OF
course interested parties look the subject from
an interested point of view Their arguments give, Of
course as theirs, my own, my only object being
place this interesting matter in an understandable
before the readers Of the HERALD
The customs authorities charge that for several years
past the manufacturers Of champagne have been
knowingly Intentionally deraudng the government
Of the United States by undervaluaton of their
chandse the invoices which accompany it, The wine
manufacturers deny this charge and say they have fully
they have acted honorable and honest merchants in
the matter The whole question in dispute depends upon
the meaning Of two words in the declaration to which the
shipper before the Consular Agent Of the United
States here The shipper who is at the time the
manufacturer Of the wine he ships, and not the pur
chaser signs different declaration from the pur
chaser The manufacturers declaration and oath his
invoice Is 'queue contient compt< pIein fd6ls du
Uertabe pr1 coran desdits de,ec orodus ct nsarcha,
discs, temps lieu les mines ont etc acquis
Jabrques" which in English reads srhat 1t contains
true and full statement Of the actual market value Of said
goods merchandise at the time and place. when
and whore the same procured or manufactured
Now the settlement of this whole question and the
opinions which may be found relative to it rests entirely
upon the meaning given to the words 'prir couantn
which translated into English market value.
And here must to give facts and argu-
nens relative TO this point get them directly from
Interested parties with whom have had several long
end free conversations They say, in the first place,
that strictly and literally speaking there is at Rheims
such thing "market value'' for manufactured
champagne wine, simply because at Rheims there
market They that no champagne wine is sold here
excepting in retail trade In reply to my question what
course they must adopt should J. as dealer in cham
pagne wines in American or European city, 70
them TO purchase their Wines every vine manufacturer
seI me The wines. but Would refer me 70 his agent
IL Is q fact OF which ! have satisfied myself
by inquiry that there s no trade here In champagne and
have been informed that II would be impossible for
stranger to purchase dozen baskets Of Widow Ccquo
CharleaHedsieck Piper st. Marceaux any other well
known brand OF champagne, and that it is by
unusual for residents Of Rheims where all these great
houses exist TO send to Paris and BRUSSELS for
basket two of champagne. In short there whole
sale business done in manufactured wines here and the
merchants therefore, say that there is literally
evidence prove this they that while for the
brnt, or raw, manufactured wine, which they pur
chase from the growers there Is ordinary current
n "a a a nj
vance from banker or capitalist that they would not
borrow one sou bottle upon the rim trapaate, or
manufactured wine The reasons given for this that
article which spois by keeping that the secret Of
its manufacture resting with the manufacturer
asked loan money would refuse because he does
not know whether0r not IL wasproperly made and that
the brands Of champagne and the reputation Of house
which makes 1t giving il It's "actna sale, where
sumed anything which might 10 njure dc
stroy the reputation Of the brands or houses would
render the wine temporarily worthless In support of
these statements they cite where after the failure
Of champagne or In in which IL has
been fo1nd necessary TO sell their goods to tue highest
bidder. the manufactured wines have been sold at
less ricc than the rtn brs0 wine, from which
they were made In order 10 complete understanding
OF this portion OF the subject necessary thar yonr
readers shoulo be initiated certain extent into the
secret oftse champagne manufacture There doubt
Less man. Feope who drink champagne who Of the
spnon bf with all its and all its gas this wine is
che natura Juice Of the grape after fernentaon some
ana a. OK sammy ssaes and by these and
SMILING rive. hanks. have already stated how the
grapes the uoe are purchased by the manufacturers
allowed 70 fen msnt its after this fermentation
is nas disa esahle About Christmas the mixtures
of the different fafnds Of wine made and these
main in casks srs the following spring. when the wine
ID bottled 8, pand fermentation s produced in The
bottles the re- u1t Of which is TO cause fresh
aepssIf OF sed Snsnt n bottles which consists
of tar kc ACID tannin the
laon IN the bottl Ss is wary destructive, causing from
nve % fifteen \ per oens ef hs bottles 70
explode, which sesuks IN the complete loss
n she Wine, tn 5 hottom Of the hottie usually
y The average OF 10 by this and II 1t much beneath
lhs figure Tie manu- ctsrers rather dsplsased than
otherwise AZ Il is an vdence that the fermentation is
not sueciently energ pc After the wine which IN tins
bottle fermentation Sc1nes ciondy Deglns 70 deposit
lontaI position in vi ch ihey hsl been resting the
racks and are placed With the neoks downward, upon
sheves, with holes ~ In then obquely. Every
day, and frequently swioe day, man, whose
special business IL s % attend 70 this, sezes each
bottle by the bottom gn It little shake, with the
object OF detaehing the pedimeut frun the side and
making II deposit In the neck, and then returns the
bottle in more nearly wright position This ID done
during two on three month until nnally all the sedi
ment having been brought down upon and near the
cork the bottles ready Cor the process of disgorg
sng y This is process whi "a requires amount
Of skill the part q he operator He cuts the
string which holds the vrk, which flies out by
the pressure Of the gas , me sediment s,, and tha.
skill OF the workman being sh swn his permitting only
the foul wine TO escape and pr .yg all the good The
again slowed away IN the u. sometimes a second
dsgorgemsntis necessary The i process previous to
ster its vintage is the adding Of wine glassu hgesr
made OF the pnrest wine and the es sugar TO eah
,le which gives u the sweetness tcqured for the parc-
lar anarkef 10 watch IL is sent ve aids spark
lInr ooudton when opened Al Var this u ia ooiked
again lahoed AMI Ia then ready fGv market
There are bsve stated two clsases OF Declarations
required TO be attached TO the invoc es OF AL goods ship
ped from Europe the United state, and which mus,
he assestsd under oath, before consulaf authority
The rst of these Is sSn the case where goods have not
been purchased and the other where they have been
purcbased the shppeng the latter case swearing 20
,he oactuai cos * the article whatever IL may b.
The VINE manufacturers here basng themselves upon
heir eontionaIv reiterated statement that there is
market value for manufa sured champagne here have
assumed that they In aty 10 CONSIDER .nemsves
An the category with gu rchasers ana snaI 'ne on
esy OF arriving at the dx o,mdm OF ms.ks' l.
valne the article was to take the best OF the vtn tr
~ Eapaiu> or manufach ured wine and the cost
Of ie exporaton 10 Havre or 60 other port Of ship