New-York tribune., 1867-06-13
NFW PUBLICATIONS..
TOMESs CHAMPAGNE COUNTRY.
TILE CUAMPAGNE COUNTRY. by hUbL"I I""N
1 IInt. I'm

h;f commercial and industrial center Of The cham
paepe district has furnished the author Of tins N"
ume wiz materials for series Of raey sketches d'
?, jptive of locality remote toun the usual hie' "l
American travel The information which eNl'o0e'
an. sparkles in lis pages, like the VINE 'i '' ,o""
Try 80 which they are devoted VIII Ice new 10 . ''So
norton of readers and even those who are "le"oE
familiar with the details viii eWoy h'"S'iT -
their rcpetition by 50 accomplished an" scu'"
story-tellcr
of the foreign tourists who aligut for short s"y
t Rheims most are attracted bF the entlocments "l
The lannon's wine on which the wealth OF the Guy lN
fo,pded and the manufacture Of which giVee o''"'
ootion to large class of tsinhabi,ants The enthu-
sosm of aeertain English traveller on this point ls
made the subject of plquant auecdOte
stout Jonn Bull. Of capaciOus stomach and fu purse
,lchting ono day nj the Lion a OT asked If Rheims was
The place where champagne was made ana dsktu lu'iS
else ON being answered in the Affirmative, ne lhhHl
ately pushed fOr the dungr0om where he TOOK up we
WINE card and began business. Pointing 20 ue io 'SlS
of The different brands Of champagne he ordered the
9rst Having received and drank this he sent for the
second, then for the third ana 80 on u,ltl & ne r
drunk he could neither drink nor order more. me
waiter now ne had becn previously ureCl'u ny GS
eccentric Eugsnman, made marx on lc Wll''ls' WI
apenci TO indicate the point 10 Whlch tle iVICo 81 %
low of the capacious guest had brouGiC nm. on iic
next day. at an earl hour me EnSisii'nM @ I M @ J,
days work. beginning where he had len on ana 'uh
bottle after bottle until he could dllnA no more Inc
waiter again made his mark: and once lhJie on lt Lu
Iay, the Euglishman. having partly Steps ON curing u'
night the effects OF the wine, came 10 ms WORK WIN l
DeWPd VigOr. He did he h0d done bcslie, anu i,
time finished the list, hut was horne on iirSe 20 uCu
Next morning he prepared TO contin1a ms idhCiS'
hut finding by inspection of the wine card thal ts
work was done he expressed himself perfectly satisfied
paid his hill, and took the first train Tor fa 5. ne I'
which time he had not left the hotel and hardly the
dining grOom and departed from Rheims WITHOUT h'NHs
put foot in its streets
The statements of the author with regard 10 cham
payne wine are full and instructive, and VIII he read
with interest even by those who are stocal enough
10 Withstand the fascination Of that seductive boNer
age OF the thirteen millions q bottles sent mliu'
ally to market fIom Rheims and its NcInilN. the
United States takes about two millions. The e ines
thus exported may he presumed "a be genuine; III
least the great manufacturers like tine house Of G.
U Mumm u Co., Hcidsieck Il Co. Rocdcier Moet
4 Chandon, and Ncuve Chquot would have so
temptation to sel any other although lew pro
ducers of less nOtG are accused of making Their pre-
tended champagne of grapes that never npcie" "h
the hills of Rheims OF the ncghbouug country. he
wine that is sent to the United States, However ls
not of the finest quality, and gives bun ilnt idea
of the fruit of the Champagne grape in the region of
its Q1owth The experience of Nj Tones on this
point is TO the purpose.
Though il may be conceded that the most oi thc cham
paGnc directly imported INTO THIS country Htm ii'lMS
and the other towns Of the same department tHl, -
genuine. it can be by means allowed tal 10 j. o. e
highest quality Of vine have ln iact ihc testimony ol
all the chief exporters Of champagne 20 prove uai hS
wine they send 10 the United States, though SunG diu
wholesome" is OF inferior quality 20 that een'2y sem
elsevyhcrp and alWay- that home. had NOT
been long in Rheims before became entirely convinced
nf the fact Brought by my official duties INTO direct ana
constant association Win tAc Vine IsAuN. liyl ~ ~
partakng of their hospitality had frequent C'csl,h 10
pagne / had hardly turned of The first glass, when
remarked flavor OF which lny palate. though rot uuStd
10 the best OF Heidseck, Nunm' and Moot y thandol III
America, had been hitherto unconscious. Ii Was the hst
time in my life that lad enjoyed glass Of champagne,
erage, being palatable from its sweetness and cervS
fence. and celebrating in its effect could not 05il
4, f1fa avrfa NJ
an, Hedsiecl Mumm. Mott & Chaudon, Cllquot. and
Roedercr, seemed TO me to have been eWed III le same
vat, of the same proportions Of syrup brandy aud soda
water
lowing its contents with gup. had been wont To do
IN order the cVaesccnt sparkle and haste Tie
pxpecfed elimination that the wine trckled slowly drop
by drop, the gratfiod palate. Ny taste had rccoe
nized Tor the first time in glass Of champagne. the '-
vor of fine wine and was lingering in the enjoyment OF
its mellow richness Nv host caught the expression Of
my satisfaction and said: You don't get such wine in
America = adding ing WITH rog3isg 3 sle tTinke OF ms eye
The mode of conducting the champagne trade is
peculiar aud presenting an exception to the usual
commercial methods, is often misunderstood. As a
general rule 1t is stated by Mr. Tones, champagne Of
wellknOwn brand cannot be bought directly Of its
manufacturer at Rheims. Ii is impossible to obtain
there for love or money bottle of genuine Clquot
or Mumm or Roederer. that is TO say bottle with
Their names on although wine of the same vintage.
or that of equally good quality may be obtained by
the purchaser if he will take il without brand, or
substitute fancy brand for that under which the
genuine article has gained It's reputation The trade
with the United States is conducted usually through
the medium of permanent agents i'll New-foIk, who
receive the gne ignment and dispose al 1t for
a regular percentage 10 the best advantage Of Their
principas The motive for selling the wine eXclu-
siyely through agents is TO give the public a guaran-
tee of its genuineness and to induce them by mo-
nopoly of the SALE to make the effort necessary 10
give currency to q particular brand OF champagne.
in France and Europe, the trade IS not carried on
rs in the United States by stationary agents but by
travellers who solicit orders which are executed at
Rheims so that for the most part the producer be-
comes the direct source of supply to the consumer.
The trade in Europe it is thus seen, is chiefly areta
one, and the nominal prices of the wine, sold dL
rrecy TO the European consumer are Of course much
higher than those at which it is invoced TO the
agents of champagne in the United States Mr.
Tones estimates the expenses Of traveller at
ty-fve ccntmes fifteen cents, or even a frame
Twenty cents bottle and apart from the salaries
and cost of travel there is large ratuiOus pouring
ont of the wine as specimen " Taste being the
only argument possible wherewith to convince a Gus
TONER be he gourmet, hotel-keepeT, TestauratcuT,
recourse is frequently made to it. This greatly
10 increase a travellers expenses, which not Gncom-
monty amount to seventy-fiye francs day Thus it
is that bottle of champagne which ordinarily cost
the producer two francs, and two francs and half
per bottle, is sold by him in Europe at three and
half four francs in which prices his profit Of ten
per bottle and the expenses of the costly
mode of sale, are included" But though Rheims is
the headquarters of the manufacture and trade,
champagne wine is almost as costly luxury TO the
consumer in that city as it before the of high
prices, in New-YoIk. At the hotels, he is charged
seven francs ls 4Ol a bottle although the average
..ast 10 the manufacturer is less than onethird of
(tbat snm X. as,