The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-30

IN ms native country, mad twelve years In this In
sparkling WINE making In 1862 Jules Mason (nis
orother was added to the talent OF the company for
Champagne making; the latter was formerly
establishment in Cincinnati.
PRODUCTION OF PLEASANT VALLEY CHAMPAGNE
Bottles.
1885 lnrst year. ............... 2o,o00(
1896 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 10000
1877 $1,000 Champagne
looS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 9oU0O
1869 ............l. .............1 10000
1870 ioo, 600 gallons NEARLY, s,i ipy Vine!
1871 ,Estimated 100000 bottles Champagne.
PLEASANT VALLEY WINE HOUSE.
This building Is beautifully situated on the west
side OF Pleasant Valley Ii was founded in 1850
The vine ards fringe ii with their lower foliage and
extend their lines far above. Below is the rich
auylal soi OF the basin OF the valley with its or.
chards, pastures gardens and its comfortable cot
tages, all indicating that tnis lovelg spot is the
home OF a thrifty and peace-lovlng population. The
VINE house Is a handsome structure OF concrete.
with cellars under ground, stone arched and eX-
accommodation OF many thousands OF gallons OF
the pare Juice OF the grape Some OF ;he casks, as
we viewed them by the dim light or a candle seem.
ed as Ii they contained liquid enough to quench the
thirst OF multitude for generation--one monster
cask being of 1000 gallons capacity. The upper
part Of the building Is used for offices, press, bot
ting, storage, boxing and shipping rooms-and the
business OF the Company Is increasing TO such an
poyed in making additions and improvements
THE MANUFACTURE or SPARKLING WINES
requires Skill capital and labor We place "skill'
nfsI as prerequisite Tor The reason that all the
capital and unskilled labor IN the world cannot
alone make good wlne no matter now perfect the
fruit. Therefore experienced superintendent must
give the directions, and as they are difficult 10 he
had IN this country fortunate Is the company that
can secure the services OF those who properly
posted up in the mysterious art. As we have before
stated tie Pleasant Valley company have been sue.
cessiul IN this respect and The work or sparkling
wine making goes on in their establishment like
clockwork. IL is not generally known that all at
tempts at making champagne bottles In tins country
have proven failures; therefore they have to be
procured from France at considerable cost. This is
one item OF expenditure not generally taken into
account in estimating the cost OF champagne
making here. She corks, OF peculiar character,
nave to be imported from Spain Another draw
back Is, tnat whlle the foreign importer has
protection OF five per cent against the producers
OF Imitation or carbon1Zed wine, the manufacturer
OF American sparkling wines has no such protection,
and has TO fight the bogus article with the pure article
In other words he has to wait year two until his
wines reaches perfection while the carDonlzer can
pop his dangerous stun OIL at short notice as the
real article, thereby seriously damaging the reputa.
ton OF the entire American sparkling VINE interest.
But to return to the manufacture OF the pure
article. The best OF grapes are procured, not OF one
variety alone but all which In combination are
found TO produce the best results In
MAKING CHAMPAGNE
the wine is first put into casks where 1t underg
the irst fermentation and subsequent racXngs.
When nearly year Old ii is hoisted from the cellar
TO an upper room, and by means or heat and, If
necessary, the addition OF pure sugar. slight Ter
tied ana Kept in room OF high temperature uut
the fermentation has created suflciency OF gas
which is indicated by the bottles beginning to burst
ties below where the cooler temperature generally
checks the bursting. In the cellar the bottles are
placed In tiers. ana, Ike legions OF mltraeuses.
seem ready to make sad havoc among unwelcOme
intruders. In these tiers the wine remains until 1t
ting 1t on the market The sediment Is to be dis
gorgedp and the gas retaired. This operation re-
quires much skin and patience. The bottles are
placed in racks with the corks downward. Work.
men give the wine twirling motion every little
while for the space OF four or five weeks or until
the sediment is worked downward and accumulates
on the corks. The rack Is then holsted ABOVE, the
b0rtie uncorked and the sediment and a slight por
ton OF the WINE gushes out. small quantity OF
then put into the bottle by al ingenious machine, a
new cork, about which a copper clasp is brmly
liked, ana which answers the purpose OF Strong
wire, inserted. and in twinkle the cork Is twined
foiled the bottle labelled wrapped In pink colored
paper, and the VINE Is soon ready for market.
GATHERING THE GhAPEs-PEoPLE AND CAPITAL EN-
PLOYED.
The grape harvest is the most eXhilarating season
that occurs IN Inc crane growing regions. IL gen
orally occurs about the middle OF Septenber-not
far hence-and all hands, men and women boys
and girls, high ana low, rich ana poor turn out Tor
Jolly tune. large portion OF the crop is generally
sold 10 the wine makers before the fruit natures
therefore the question OF sale, transportation or
market does not intervene TO mar the hiarlty OF the
big ana little fOlksthe grower well as the picker.
in the Pleasant Valley region alone there are more
than two thousand persons interested III grape cui
tufe involving capital In the aggregate OF at least
TWO millions yearly. When the season for gather
ing the grapes is IN lull blast II Is sale TO estimate
the number OF people interested anu engaged IN the
business in various capacities In the western part Of
ground covering their field OF labor at
TWENTY THOUSAND ACRES,
and the capital employed al upwards OF nve mllons
OF dollars. Surely taxing the vineyards OF western
New YORK for an eXampe-and they nave no paral ell
for extent this SIDE OF the Rocky Mounains-tne
grape and wine culture Of the country is an interest
Of vast moment.
NAMES AND CHARACTER OF PLEASANT VALLEY
CHAMPAGNE BRANDS.
The first champagne brand OF Pleasant Valley was
named after The stale OF New York, Umpire Tie
second was called the paris Exposition The
fpas ora IA. .l tha har
"a combination OF wines, which met with such general
favor 10 induce the company TO put into compe
titlou at the Exposition Universale. Paris, 1867,
where 1t won the highest honor awarded 10 any
American sparkling VINE, VIZ, "honoraple Men
ton"
With this brand OF their sparkling wine much was
done Tor the advancement Of not the Interest alone
OF the Pleasant valley Wine Company, but for
American wine culture generally. In tue comblna-
ton OF several wines o. different strength, nav or
ana bouquet was found, II Is believed, the
SECRET or THEIR SUCCESS:
a discovery made and put III practice by no former
champagne makers in the United States.
In 1882 with the increased production OF the fner
Their improve and vary the combination and TO
bring out their
CARTE BLANCHE.
This was stlll another advance step IN their sue.
cessiuI progress IN champagne making, and 80 W ell
was 1t received by the American public that
An ENGLISH SOBLEhAN
visiting this country was induced on his return home
TO Institute negotiations for ts sale IN Europe. IL
has been founu that the agitation OF even bottled
proves II beyond what the most thoughtful had
supposed.
Win the reputation thus far attained, TO say
nothing Of pecunlary success. which was latter
ing, most others than Americans would have been
quite SATISFIED; but as they are never so, IN the
course OF Tune, which In This case was short,
another and further effort at combining
ana periecting was made In 1870, result
Ing III what Is now known as the
''GKEAr WESTERN OF THE PLEASANT VALLEY WINE
COMPANY.
OF the excellence of this wine II is enough to say
that Marshal 2. Wilder President or the National
Pomolo2lcal Society," thought deserving the name
ne gave IT, and that wine OF less excel ence should
not receive one so broad, so noble and national. II
has hardly yet been fully introduced INTO market
but wherever II has been used has been pronounced
equal In navor, brllnancy bouquet and peculiar
frultlness 10 almost any brand OF champagne I'm
ported. Give II an equal age, ana It's makers Will
challenge a trial wtth nearly every foreign as tuey
do now with any American, manufacture.
THE PROCESS
by which these wines are made Is the same as thai
of the best quality manufactured IN France. IN,
varieties OF grapes are, OF course, different out 8,
al I'm. 10 a..