The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-26


renown still secures for 1t the largest consump-
tion by the gulping crowd. The other Heidi
sieclSs, though far from having the success OF
their better known predecessor, have disco
yered that there is something in name, ana
Though Piper co. CHeidsiecb) have earned
thelr reputation and fortune by their superior
portanoe of the Smarican 1m trade, most Of the
other Well-known manufacturers OF cham-
payne have succeeded through more Irregular
means, or been indebted to hazard for their
success. =, ~ ~,,--
PonSdrdfl which is so much esteemed in Rus
sia, and where IL has been profusely drank
turersSthe noted Widow Werie' the MAYOR of
Rheims, and the Baron de Sachs, as hestyles
himself, her partners-have made such fortunes
as to rank them among the millionaires of
Europe, owes its success to chance. The
Widow Clicquot had been the wife of one Fran
his biographer, who had retired from active
service in consequence of his wounds Cor
poral or Sergeant Clicquot-or whatever may
have been his rank-was naturally of q convi-
vial turn, and instlnctlvely took to the wine
AT this period. u79s), we are told by his eu-
log1stc biographer, the trade in white wines
at Rheims was in the hands of mere routinists,
who were incapable of giving the least devel-
I'm, Ciicouot. .sendowed with q lively con-
ception and activity almost ardent, visited the
nelghboring vineyards, went down into all the
cellars, compared, weighed, meditated, and
different commercial system.
"'Until then, the efiervescing wines ofCham-
M. Clicquot undertook that they should
difference however, that while the monks
excellent drinkers-im bibed the most and best
of their vintage, Monsieur Clicquot, less
thirsty less SELFISH resolved to offer his wines
to all the crowned heads of Europe, OF whom
"1While big with his magnificent prof ect,
death came and cut short the career of the SON.
in;law of NJ. PonsaTdin,' that is to say M:
Clicquot Ponsardin, Common rumor at
Rheims tells different story of the exit OF this
throat in despair of the success of the entirely
different commercial system with which his
biographer credits him.
MADAME Clicquot thus became Widow Clio.
quot, and was left to carry out the magnificent
project which had originated in the lively con.
late husband. Though only twenty y-seven years
Of age, and with daughter in the cradle who
this heroic dame accepted with courage tue
position that destiny had given her. She
until the invasion of France by the Allies
in 1915, when the Russians came thronging into
Rheims and filled the cellars of the widow.
"'All the Russian officers commanded by
Saint Priest had lifted the champagne glass to
their lips. 1t was said even that many of them
preferred the popping of the bottles of Rheims
to that of the cannon Of the Emperor, and that
on the retaking of Rheims, about dozen
| the table by the first and pacific artillery At
the moment the attack of the French troops
there remained some drinkers but no soldiers
These, dead drunk, had not heard the sound,
"When these officers returned to Saint Peters
| burg and Moscow, they talked so much of, and
| praised so highly, the delights of their debauch
| In the cellars of the Widow Clicquot. that they
| made her name famous throughout Russia,
| and gave her wine currency which has made
"I knew Madame Clicquot, dwarfish, with
| cred old woman of eighty-nine years, whose
Whole soul was In business scanning mn over eaGh
| house to which she had given her name she
"The Ciicouet wine is made to suit the Russian
| taste, which likes q sweet and strong cham.
| payne. 1t is accordingly highly branded and
Of good wine, its qualities, whatever they may
| be. are entirely smothered in the sweetness;
| A bottle of Clicquot in America is the same as
The Cllcquot wine is fast losing prestige, and
| will before long become obsolete, If not
| adapted to the more discriminating taste OF
| modern drinkers.
Louis Roederer & Co., who, during the last
| ten years or so, have come into repute as the
| manufacturers of popular wine, are indebted
| for their success to the usual means employed
| by charlatans to create a demand for their
nostrums Emulous of the fame of the Widow
| ClicQuot in Russia, they sent there shreWd
language and trade of that country while travel
ling over 1t as a commits. .U0ydgeur or bagman for
| some trading house or other OF his native land
| Not easily abashed, and of an intrusive dlspo-
| sition, he determined to make himself known.
| With meagre vallse of his own, and an aoun-
| dant supply of his masters wine, which he dis
| tributed profusely, he was not an unwelcome
guestin q country where strangers are compara-
| lively so rare that their claims to regard are
hardly investigated and the thirst for wine
| and strong drink so eager that any one VINO
| has them to offer is readily received. He thus
for many years travelled over and over Russia,
pouring out gratuitously into the vast and Will
| Ing throat of the whole empire such quantities
of champagne, that the Roederers were nearly
made bankrupts by the expense.
ALARMED by this profusion, which, having
already cost some hundreds of thousands, was
fast beggaring them, the Roederers recalled
their costly traveller, who earnestly begged for
little respite; This being granted he finally
returned TO Rheims. His object was accom-.
plished. He had succeeded in so habituating
the taste of the Russians TO the Roederer wine,
and familiarlzing them with its name, that
order after order was sent for 1t to Rheims and
the manufacturers from menactng poverty
were lifted suddenly TO assured wealth, OF which
the pTodgal traveller, being made partner OF
mitted to participate. The house of Il. RoedereI
4 Co., though for many years moving slowly
under the care of its founder, Schroeder, q
plodding German, now ranks among the largest
and Wealthiest of all Champagne. They SELL II
| is said $4,000 dozen bottles annually. The chiei
| consumption of the Roederer wine in the
United States is at Boston. 1t is one of the
best and most costly of the wines manufac
tured in large quantities, but, like all those
adapted to general consumption, is loaded witt
sugar that II may be toothsome 70 the masses asses
rer, the present proprietor OF the house, ane
Schroeder, the original founder.
"a brand of champagne once extensively
made known, whether by legitimate enter.
prise, hazard, or charlatanism, becomes SUR
source OF wealth The wine is bought and dranl
on the mere strength Of its name. Without re-
gard to its quality, and even in spite OF It's bad
ness, just as the much advertised and hurtfu
panaceas OF the nostrum -venders are purchased
and swallowed by the credulous and suffering
| millions.
"The Cilcquots, ,Roederers, and others hav'
been beset by claimants to their kinship, who
though conscious OF the value OF name, have