St. Landry democrat., 1878-03-23

while doing It, since this insures more
regularity in the strokes.- Philadelphia
Times.
THE CHAMPAGNE QUESTION.
How the American Wine is Made. Different
7astes and Different Nations. a Low
Estimate Of American Judgment
American champagne is said by man.
ufacturers to be made in three ways
First, by infusing carbonic acid gas into a
mixture of water, alum, grape essence,
etc.; second, by infusing the same gas into
pure native wine and thirdly, by using
pure native wine which has termented
by natural process. and efervesces
without the aid of artificial means.
Makers of the first sort are not supposed
to he communicative respecting their
methods of operation. Makers of the
second sort speak freely and enthusiast
ically. We print the substance of a
conversation with one of them:
"American champagne said the
speaker, differs essentially from French
champagne only in the quality of the
grapes used in its manufacture. The
foreign grapes are grown on soil which
has been cultivated for hundreds of years,
while the domestic grapes come from
fresher and less cultivated soil The
foreign soil, too, is perhaps naturally
better, SO that the quality of the grapes
which it produces is undoubtedly finer
and richer, Nevertheless, it is impossible
to predict the amount of improvement
in store for American vineyards, the at
tention given to the matter being very
intelligent and persevering. With this
exception, however--namely, that the
French grapes are now somewhat better
than the American grapes---it may truly
besaid that American champagne is the
equal OF French champagne.
"How is American champagne made?"
"By the addition of sugar and car
bonic acid gas to the wine after the first
fermentation. That tells the whole pro-
cess. The wine, say four months old,
comes to us from California in casks,
We put sugar in the bottom of empty
casks; transfer the wine to these casks,
roll the casks so as to dissolve and mix
the sugar, then draw off the wine, im-
pregnate it with carbonic acid gas, and
bottle it. Try a glass of it. Not two
persons in every hundred that pass our
doors could distinguish it from French
champagne"
"How is French champagne made?"
"In the manufacture of French cham>
pagne the sugar is added to the bottled
wine instead of to the wine in the cask.
The bottled wine is then stored away for
year or more, and a fermentation arises
which produces the effervescence. If We
should KEEP our home wine bottled for
a year, it would be as effervescent as
foreign wine without the addition of
artificial gas"
"Why not do so, then p
" Because we want to save time. By
using artificial gas we get the same result
at once. The expenses of storage and
the interest on that capital are avoided,
and at the same time our wine has more
carbonic-acid gas than French wine, and
is for that reason improved. It is not |
liable to produce nausea. Carbonic acid |
gas, whether obtained by natural or
artificial means, is simply carbonic acid
gas, you know. Our wine il not only |
cheaper, but more wholesome. We sell
it at retail for one dollar quart and
fifty cents pint
GAS l understand you, then, sugar is
always used in France, as well as in this
country, in the manufacture of cham
Certainly it is. Iwas once connected
with the house Of G. H. Humm & Co.,
at Rheims, and | will tell you all about
the subject. The grapes gathered in
are pressed and then put in
vats, where the first fermentation takes
place. In the following May the wine
is bottled, and laid away for year or
more, each bottle lying horizontal. At
the end of that time second fermenta-
ton has taken place, and tie wine is
sparkling and effervescent. Meanwhile
q little sediment has gathered in
each bottle. To remove this the bottle
is placed for a few days in an oblique
position, for another few days in more
oblique position, and SO on, until the
sediment has gradually worked its way
to the bottom of the cork. Then the
cork is slowly removed, and the sedi-
ment spurts out with a little of the wine.
Before recorking the bottle. certain
amount of Hqueur, as the French call it,
Lwecall it sugar sirup-is poured into it,
the usual quantity being ten per centum
Of the contents of the bottle. For wine
intended for expectation TO Russia twenty
per centum of liqueur' is added-the Rus
4 oryr sar,x,04 |