, 1873-10-19

Tho Widow Chicquot's wino-Coffars'
rheims Correspondence u Ac Ncto FORK Herald.
Wo enter fist n low, gloomy cave, With
strong Bmc]l Of vinegar about 1t, and pass on
through cayo nftcr cayo, drnly lighted from
above, and 80 into q long room In total dark
ness, where there ia a strange, rumb!ing noiho
going On. Hore we ere provideu with caudles
placed In heavy iron candlcsticks having hooks
to lane mon the finger; and by their aid dis
cover that tho r,smb1ing noiso Is produced by
1uan rolling champagne bottles With de1torous
twist of tho wrist 10 make tho vino deposit its
crust on tho co1ks, in ordor that 1t may DO taken
out and tho liquor cleared boforo 1t in sent to
market. Then we GO irto 4 long vault, filled
with empty casks, all ready to receive the pro-
duco Of this years. vintage.
On cropping our way through the total dark-
peBs amidst tuba {excellent strong tubs they
SOON, Us tho candle-light hashcs upon them and
the all-peryadiug smell of vinegar, grown
mouldy, wo go down long flight Of ateps Into
another cave. It is cold aud damp. Iho Walls
puugent that tho stain of 1t cannot 10 got out Of
CLOTH or linon any moro than the stain Of drunk
enncss can be got ont Of character. IL la gilt
terlng slime, Of o beautiful brown color, not TN
drcds and thousands shine upon either sdo ct
us, like living things, and mon with candles flit
about in tho darkneas. NJ. Vornet has soveral
million bottles Of champagne in stock: eaoh bot,
sounds hollow beneath our feet. There arc
other caves deeper than this with bottles. but
tics. casks md bottles, and tie same strong
smell Of vinegar everywhere.
Of the wine fat which covers tito ground OF tho
lover caves; and one, tho small old cave In
| which the Widow Clicquot kopther wines, gives
| good idea Of tyrants, dungeon IN molo;
| drama. On we 60 again, through lanes aud
avenues Of casks and bottles, through roads and
streets Of thom, with that thick Slime smelling
like glue and vinegar, oinging to our feet. l
wonder, as I look, how much wit ana thought,
| how much joy and how much msBolief may be
held in ono bottle of champagne.
There III no meaning III magnumH. Tho vino
is nut better fer being put into q larger bottle,
and the quality Of tlat contained In pints is quite
The slzo of champagne bottles is uncertain; 1t
| varies considerably. There il no special manu-
| facturo Of them, and no law OF custom regulat-
| ing their contonss. They usually contain about
| three -fourtls of litre.
| Each bottle should be aoparated by a small
| picco Of rood when champagne ia kept In stock,
and 1t should be laid down horizontally, or tho
cork dries and tho gas escapes.
Tho corks used tor Clioquot champagne arc es-
pecially good, however, and fully suffice to ro~
| tnin the esaonco and perfume OF the wine. Ihc
metallic covering Of wax put over them after-
| wards is merely used for ornament Btrone
iron wire Is tho only thing necessary to keep tho
ii. Vornot only employs about 200 worlEmon in
5,;.,.. ~. ~ ia nf Nina Gtfcou0t Buk
uoS S. .uo .,o,s tt1a ,,;no n Fr.nca md nnne at
~ ~ fonn r,1a;. suy or.ona Thn tfn bas M ancr.-
IA r. H. !,t 49,, T.. por;u nm. n Tnudon nr 1t
potarst,r1 ooH hnt thera i. M IN Nav York.
o,,t;,uo 4, ~ - sea hnw c,nmntlv nns with
49, 20 o,m..ent omonnt ~ n.edieta iahnr chnm
onmeo mna, oaIIsd Thn thinr ia donn in the old
InsA1b ag ~ - oa.n. ~ An iroS .;oa nnd a wooden
,na}},.t' wy @Ao<@-' "
~" 1o.+ t1,f,. ao,. IN cbomnaor. Ia In take
,,t tna dr.ns n3 r. wh;c1 no1iocf nj tho mock at
~ ~ tat4ia r. ~ rh"no and ai7a ~ irrcn WI.
nt sn1 h,,, - ~, IN nsnnr,n apr,,n IN ade II
aeama to ha ali dona by the r;1ie Of thumb, 4
1ns'' tonI a ,aIta Ind fnnne, md ha mt in a.
r,,,o,, ~ 10 1;la, ~ axnru hottIe int h.fo,o Il
49, 11.ust> norL.d Fl n M fcr roarL.t
Thsnnnanae Vii Lssn IN thirty ve.rs or rnoro
,ni.es .pn 5r;nl Il XXI 4 II no3o ~ hottor III
heantny # may h. h. drnnl, IN ne1fection at threa
ysars ia IT. d.Tor denenia nnon ths v;ntnra
hi nnnr Tina 4e0@N ~
rew hnstia or chamn.one tooka 1;ko n anil,
der's Uab fioatine about Il, wntor. It ia terr;hie
stun to koeD. and about 1ftoon per cant Of the
w;ne liant IN ii. Vornet'a ntook broaka yosr1y
MIN huratinu OF obamnagne hoktian ar;1es from
anmn flaw in Them. Now behinl oyory dif1onlty
}urkn m inTantion.
The man WIN first makea a ohnmnarne bott]t
tint viii not burt viii also nuke largo for.
tune, A. 5ye walked through Il. Vernet's cellart
bottles we're hurotiug on all sides Of us with re-
norta lotdar thsn tIoYe Of pistols and alrnogt al
Sanrsrons. When a champagne bottle bursts IT
a wnrkmnn'R laud-as it very often doos-i
freunantlY dopriyes him OF tis eyosieht. It is