The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-07-09
CHAMPAGNE.

CHAMPAGNE.
The sham ana the Rcai-The Original
Champagne Charlie.
frank Lesies.l
The original Champagne Charlie was
no less parsonage than the rector oil
the University Of Beauvais, in France.
His name was Charles Coffin, and the
grave associations suggested by it are
relieved by the sparkling classical ode
which, during q memorable controversy,
i'm the reign of Louis XIV, as to the
comparative merits of Burgundy and
Champagne wines, he wrote in favor OF
the latter. The inhabitants OF Rheims
gratefully rewarded the poet with
! liberal supply of champagne Real
| champagne richly deserves all the
praises lavished upon 1t by It's learned
eulogist, and by a host OF other poets
since his day. Even prose writer's can
not refrain from enthusiasm akin to
poetical inspiration in view of it's ele-
gance, purity, body, exquisite flavor,
and bouquet. Well may Talfourd ex-
claim with rapture, in The Wine
Cellar "What sparkling fances,
whirIng and foaming from stout body
of thought, in that full and ripe cham
pagne!"
Until the opening of the eighteenth
century the ef1ervescing tendency OF
this wine was regarded as "a defect.
Even now the finest connoisseurs In
France prefer still to sparkling cham
pagnes, and especially that one which
most gently sends up the gas ia spark
les. Since 1880, when an Epernay wine
merchant excited establishment by his
enterprise in producing five thousand
to six thousand bottles Of sparkling
champagne, and 1887, when the firm Of
Meet prepared fifty thousand, the pro-
duction, home consumption and expor-
tation Of these champaGnes have mar
velously increased. Sparkling cham
pagnes are now sent all over the civil
! lied world, and everywhere, outside OF
France, from St Petersburg to Yoko-
hama, they seem to be valued in proper
ton to their extreme effervescence. This
may have been one OF the qualities
which strongly recommended cham
pagne to Vincesilaus, King Of Bohemia
and Of the Romans, so long ago as 1897.
| At that date Vincesilaus first tasted 1t,
on arriving in Rheims to negotiate a
treaty with Charles V. He liked it so
well that, says the historian, he spun
out his diplomatic errand to the longest
possible moment, and then gave up all
| that was required of him in order to
|
champagne daily before dinner"
Russians, Germans, Englishmen and
Americans would complain of the
genuine champagne, il they were to
taste it at Rheims, as being too sweet,
compared with the strengthened"
brands to which they are accustomed,
and which, nevertheless, contain quite
as much sugar, sometimes even more,
and always more alcohol. They are not
aware, or they forget, that only one per
cent of alcohol, if even it were the best
cognac, is enough, according to high
French authority, to injure- its bouquet
and freshness--in fact, to change its
constitution. But this sophistication Of
exported champagnes is nothing to later
tricks of trade which nave long been
suspected, and which, thanks to the
persevering Investigations Of the Ameri-
can agents of Mumm & Co.--and thanks,
also, to the Grand Jury and Recorder
Hackett- are in fair way to be
exposed and published. About
six years ago, the Newark Aduert1Ser
made a startling disclosure OF the fact
that the business Of basely counterfeit
ing champagne and other wines was be-
come extensive and lucrative in Newark,
BROOKLYN and New York city. 1t showed
that an immense quantity OF our cham
payne is made from cider and Rhine
wines. It cited the statement "by re.
liable men in bottling cider" that they
believed nine-tenths of the champagne
drank in this country is made from
our cider" A thirty gallon cask of
cider at twenty cents per gallon, costing
six dollars by the process which the
Adrertiser described, yields in cham
payne $3.50, with trifiing deduction
for loss, labor, bottles, etc. The
! - lan IF 30
champagnes-wh have not only
counterfeited labels and trademarks.
but also bought up at junk-shops,
restaurants, hotels and club houses
lots of genuine branded corks, bottles
and cases. filling the latter with their
fabricated and unwholesome fluid, COM
posed of cider, or cheap European and
Californian wines which they doctor
with chemicals, generating carbOnic
acid gas by the oil of vitriol, or by other
means are set down at still higher
figures. Moreover, on every case Of
their bogus champagne the Govern
ment is cheated out of the duty of six
dollars, gold which the agents of
Mumm & Co. have to pay on the same
quantity of the genuine article. 1t is
certainly time to stop this nefarious
business of defrauding the Government,
and both swindling and poisoning the
community. Now that the subject has
been taken into the courts, we trust it
will be so thoroughly ventilated that
the public cannot be longer deceived to
its pecuniary, physical and moral in
jury.
SeasOnablc and Cheap.
/ Just look at the bargains In dry goods offered
by that old and popular house. Messrs. Brasel-
man Adams. corner of Magazine and St. An
drew streets and then consult your own interest
by giving them n call.