The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-10-16
The Wines of France.

The Wines of France.
Rh.im, correspondence New York Herald.
Bidding good-by 10 the Mayor OF Rheims,
Witil a hlgh opinion OF his courtesy and
it5Mknees. took my way to Widow
tlicquot counting house. to see one of
Inc largest and most important Wine eel
lars in the world. 1t was composed of
three clean. hare-l0oking rooms. opening
one into the other, with a few ledgers and
.lrcount books upon cool-looking desks of
vanished pine. The Champagne sum-
llzzlngly lot and bright. poured in
through the open windows and the clang
Of cooper>' hammers rmg increasingly in
The large courtyard below. There APP
peared to be nothing to do tor the moment,
and indeed, very large business takes
very little doing There were only
TWO OF rwARD AND VISIBLE CLERKS.
one a Young dandy of impressive appear
lncc. not unacquainted with the use Of
pomatum one benevolent, elderly gen
,lelnan in spectacleS Both We're doing
nothing in an easy. companionable way {;
Mid ! thought, as | saw them doing it,
lh.t the service Of that grand old NJ Yer
l.et was not hard one
The Chief Clerk accompanies me 10 the
hiet of widow Clicquot'> wine cellars, a
lurlr giant in Shirt sleeves. with blue
apron ON, coming ptO his shoulders. He
also i man Of prosperous and contented
aspect, II though he relolred IN NJ, Yer
Yet and his service
We enter first Il low, gloomy cave. with
@ strong smell of vinegar about it. and
PASS on through cave after cave, dimly
lighted from above and SO on into a long
room in total darkness. where there is Il
TRANCE rumbling noise going ON. Here
~c are provided with candles placed in
heavy IRON candle-sticks having hooks TO
hang upon the finger; and by their aid
discover that the rumhling noise is pro
uured hv man rolling champagne bottles
aith deNlcrous twist of the wrist to make
tle wine deposit it. crust on the corks, in
order that il may be taken out and the
liquor cleared before ii is sent to market
hen we 90 into long vault, filled with
amply casks, all ready to receive the pro-
ouce Of this wears vintage
ON cropping our way through total dark
ness amid tubs (cXccllent strong tubs
Dhey seem. As the candle-light flashes upon
thcm), and the all-pervading smell of vlne-
var, grown moldy, we 90 down long
night of steps into another cave. II Is cold
and damp. The walls are covered with a
-Wnou~ slime, So acrld and pnnSent that
tne Stan OF II can not be got out OF cloth
~ linen any more than the stain of drunk
runc~S can he got ont of character 1t is
y glitterlng slime, of beautiful brown
,l!or. not unlike Il thin coating Of treacle.
hultles in hundreds and thousands shine
lpon either side OF rs, like living things,
and men with candles fill about in the
darkness. NJ. Ncrnet has several million
bottles Of champagne in stock, each bottle
representing Il five frame piece. The
yround sounds hollow beneath our feet
There are other caves deeper than this
with bottles, bottles, casks and bottles, and
he same strong smell of vinegar every
here
We slip and stumble through the thick
rea-e OF the wine tat which covers the
Ground OF the lower caves and one, the
small old cave IN which the Widow Clio
4uot kept hey wines, gives good idea OF
Il tNrah1 dungeon IN melo-drama. On
W" 20 again. through lanes and avenues
ot casks and bottles, through roads and
treeta of them, with that thick slime,
melting like clue and vinegar Clingln2
our feet. / wonder, as | look, how
much wit and thought, how much Joy and
now much mischief may he held in one
pottlc of champagne.
There is no meaning in magnums The
winr is not better for being put into a
ur@er bottle, and the quality of that con-
tanned in pints i, quite equal to that held
IN quarts.
The size OF champagne bottles is uncer-
ain: it varies considerably. There is nc
-pecial manufacture of them, and no law
"a custom regulating their contents They
usually contain about threc-tourths of /;
ur.
Each bottle should be separated bv {;
mall piece of wood when champagne i,
kept in stock, and it should be laid down
horizontally, or the cork dries and the ga,
escapes
The corks used for Clcquot champagne
are especiallvgood, however. and fully sui
tice 10 retain the essence and perfume o.
The wine. The metallic covering of WAY
mi over them afterwards is merely usef
for ornament. A strong iron wire is the
only thing necessary to keep the cork il
place
NJ. Nernet only EMPLOYS about 2OC
workmen in doing the immense trade O.
Nine Chcouot But he sells very little
vine in France, and none at all to private
lci ~ III ia Nus no 'oc, e''i'o', aSrii
tarsLuro. Int thero i ono i, Nov, yorl.
1t IS curious |" see now clumSlly ano
WIN Whal an apparent amount OF need
less labof chaillpaShc IL coikeo ne
tnlno Is done III tltt on WY ny means O