The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-15
THE FRENCH VINTAGE OF 1874.

All France is rejoicing, and, we may add,
all the civilized world with her, in the boun-
teous yield Of her vineyards for 1874. ''From
the plains of Champagne to the slopes of the
Bordelais," says the Economist Francois,
''from the banks Of the Loire to those of the
Rhone, our beautiful sun gilds with its rays
upward of two millions of hectares ef vines,
afording occupation to more than seven mil
lions of laborers, and producing as much as
seventy millions OF hectolitres. The hectare
is something over two acres and halt, ana
the hectolitre about twenty-one gallons. The
total produce, expressed in English measure,
is thus no less than l, $40, 900, 900 gallons. No
such vintage has ever been known before, ex-
cept that of 1869.
The exceptional character Of the yield will
be seen by comparison with former years.
Previous to 1869 the year of the creates yield
was 1S47, and the year of least yield with
in the present century 1857 The product
Of 1854 was 242, 900, 600 gallons, of 1855 $780,,
600, 900. From 1863 to 1873 the average pro-
duct was 1,160. 100000 gallons. Last year,
1878, the yield was below the average, reach
ing only 792, 1000 900 gallons or little more than
half that Of the present year. So great is the
demand for casks that all the available re-
sources of the trade have been made to supply
it, and not in a few districts the process OF
improyise the necessary capacity.
The price of wine casks rose from $50 francs
at the commencement Of the vintage to $50
before its close. The superior wines are all or
nearly all OF excellent quality, the season for
preparing and gathering being all the wine
growers could wish. The Bordeaux wines of
1874 are equal to any which have been pressed
for years. The same may be said of the fine
wines OF Burgundy. The inferior Burgundy
wines are, however, deficient in quantity, a
fact due to two circumstances. The fine
wines OF Burgundy grow more than half way
up the eastern slope Of the range of hills ex-
tending from Dion to Marseilles the inferior
ones on the lower slopes and in the plains.
Inferior wines are also produced on the
Western slopes of these hills, and on the
plains extending westward In the first halt
Of May frosts fell upon the lower slopes and
plains, but failed to affect the higher slopes,
and on the 9th OF June destructive hail
storm swept along parallel to the line Of hills,
falling also on the lower portions. Both of
these visitations left the higher slopes and,
consequently, the best wine producing vines
were uniniured. Notwithstanding the abund-
ant vintage, there will be no sensible decline
of prices High wines are not affected by an
abundant yield. IL the long run they are
sure to find their value, and seldom entail loss
unless purchased at extravagant prices.
In consequence Of the large foreign orders,
there was at latest advices a steady advance.
List Sunday-the French are great people for
attending to important matters on sunday
an exposition was held at Beaune, the capitalc
rinicole of Burgundy, under the auspices OF
the Agricultural Association OF the district.
The wines were to be tasted and classified ac-
cording to quality. On that occasion wine
growers and wine-buyers meet from all parts
of Christendom, when the wine is sold by
samples very much after the fashion Of our to-
bacco sales. The buyers ordinarily keep
themselves we'll in hand, though the bidding
is not unfrequently somewhat brisk, as might
be supposed from the effects Of repeated tast-
Courier-Jouy7dl.