, 1872-12-07
CHAMPAGNE.


CHAMPAGNE.
Its Production and Price.
L letter from Epernay, in the Pail Mall Ga
zette, says that the vintage Of champagne, which
usually extends over fortnight, has this year
been prolonged in particular places. The vine
growers, however, will not suffer, as the best
Sin bratt, or raw wine from which champagne is
prepared, and which ordinarily commands from
four to five hundred francs the 'tpiece" Of 200
itres (equal to forty-four gallonB) has this year
been eagerly bought up BY the great champagne
houses at the advanced price OF from eight to
nine hundred francs. Naturally q corresponding
rise in the price OF the manufactured articles
and champagne is manipulated to degree which
renders its preparation almost one OF the tine
arts-rnieht be looked for; but consumers OF
the uin 4nousseur par excellence may congratulate
themselves that no such rise ls IN contempla-
ton.
Cbampaene and the observation applies
equally to the finest as tothe inferior brands-is.
contrary to common belief, unlike other grand
wines, never the production OF single vine
yard, nor even Of one species Of grape. but the
result Of the melange Of many. Moreover, year
after year, as its consumption increases, and the
time-renowned vinelands Of Ay; Bouzy, Ambon-
nay, Verzenay, Mailly, Very, Cramant, and
Ayize, from which all fine champagnes we're
formerly exclusively made, have been found in
adeuuate to the demands which both hemiBpheres
annually make upon the manufacturers Of Reims
produce was heretofore regarded as unsuited to
the composition Of 30 delicate wine as cham
pagne are laid under contribution, and have
their deficiencies OF bouquet, Vlnoslty, and
saccha1ine essences supplied by artificial means.
No manufacturer of champagne Of the slight
est note, although he may produce simply one quail
ity Of vine, confines himself to wine Of single
type. He makes his wine dry, sweet, or strong,
Olicquot champagne, which still retains it's old
reputation, when it found it's principal market
in Russia, of a sWeet wine, which it still is when
prepared for the Russian or French markets, is
always at its driest when intended for Engnsh ~
consumption. It is the same with the rest Of
the well-known brands The strong, sweet
wines 20 to Russia and Germany, and the inter-
mediate ones to the United States, while the
lighter are consumed principally in France, the
dry and moderately strong wines 50 to Eng
land, the lighter ones to China, the East Indies,
and hot countries generally, and the very strong
ones to Australia and California, and all those
districts, where gold and diamonds and such like
trifies are from time to time "prospected."
Champagne is the result Of q compound Of the
juice of both black and white grapes, four-ffths
OF the former being generally mixed with one
fifth Of the latter, and 4 certain per centage OF
sugar and spirit. It is from the black grapes
that the wine derives it's solid vinous qualities,
and these are principally of the Pinot variety, 80
styled because its clusters take the conical
form Of the pine, being the same from
which all the grand red Burgundy wines are
crop. eiyes vine Of great strength, combined
With Extreme de1icacY of flavor Besides the
foregoing there are the Morillon noir, producing
a light agreeable wine, and the Pinot girls, cul-
tiyated in some of the Verzenav vineyards
which yields Light and perfuned wine. Of the
white cranes TO which champagne ia principally
indebted for its efYeryescing Qualities, the most
noted are the plant vert-doree, locally termed
the - golden plant Of Ay," and the Morillon
blanc Varieties, the latter being not merely sweet
and perfumed, but very prolific. To these may
be added the Muscat Blanc, the sweetest and
most perfumed Of all, producing wine of con-
aiderab]e body. and With yery pronounced favor
Of the fruit,
With tie exception OF certain famous r1ne-
vards of the Rhone the yinelands of Cham
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