Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-06-26
SWIMMING IN CHAMPAGNE.
Something for Wine Drinkers
to Read-How Men Appear In
the Watts.


the Watts.
FlAgp' kuppean vinsysnds-
The sight near at hand oil Q stern
round tower OF other days sdmonished
me was entering the domain oil Cha
teau la Tour, one OF the three relgning
houses Of Haul Medoc, by decree oil the
Bordeaux chamber OF commerce aud the
sutfrages of princely drinkers, the world
over ranking number one in q classified.
ton OF a select sixty, chosen from among
the many thousand rign0bl,s Of district
where all 10 choice aud iine. Surround
ed by field OF little low vines, rs insig-
| nihCant To look at rs any OF the others,
! stood handsome new chateau, Win
press house, store houses, stables, etc,
| close by, while apart from all, and rising
from among the hop-o'-my-thumb trei-
| lis, was a stately antique tower, giving
dignity, character, interest and name To
the place. 4 gentleman OF distinguished
look, with two ladies, was walking to-
wards the house as drew near. i sa'
luted him, and asked permission to
walk about the property. III Monsieur
will lie good enough 10 wait o moment,
the regiMs,1lr will be here and will con-
duct him" The rsgiSScT or conductor
coming up, | Was presented and turned
over 10 HIM. Tie showed me the press
house. A pile OF grapes, already stem
med, was heaped in con'oai form on the
pressoir, and five or six men, with
trowsers rolled above the knees, were
trotting about in circle, tramping the
pile under foot, beginning at the outer
circumference and gradually contracting
their circuit until they met In the mid
die and on top at the cone. ms they
call "fouicr pied" (crushing with ieet.
There might be- cleaner way OF dong
the thing. don't think there could be
a iouleT. The rcgiosur made no apology
inr the sight, nor did the hOtters seem
the least ashamed. Wherever went
that day, except at the Ayerons iarm
and Chateau LATTE, this mode oi crush
Ing was in practice. Ii IL said no other 80
eliuCtually brushes the pulp without
breaking the seed. la fact, that u In i'm.
portant tor the quality OF the vine, that
IL be uOdden out with naked teet. IL
In also said, and very truly, that soap
aud water will cleanse the feet IA well
IA the hands. At the place ! visited !
inquired oi the vOrkmen II they washed
their feet before tramping ON the grapes
and Was told they did not. One
Of them enlightened INV lgnor'
ance 10y explaining that wine
had the power To fling OFT all impurities,
~ that il was of no sort of consequence
how free they made with it. No doubt
there is good deal to he said on the
other side Of this question Oi dlrt-
confess that what | saw and heard dis
turbed my old notion at all events, the
Mcloc vintagers acted m II quite sure
1T their chemical deductions, and would
walk with bare feet slap.dash through
puddle aud mud aud mount the Juicy
heap with the assured tread ol men
firmly grounded in their principles,
AT the 'llosplce, at Blgny, IN the
province Of burgundy, the property ut
AN endowed hospital, IN leaune, |
found the arrangement excellent. The
watts, which are constr uCted like those
ui MedOC, only lower aud wider IN pro-
portion to their height, hold about a
thousand gallons each. Often II ls nee
cssary Ia resort To- artificial heat III all at
the fermentation, but 81 long ~ things
work well IN tho watts nothing ut the
kind is needed. Hut there II another
mode oi Tousing up the slackening pro
cess, and at the same time bringing the
skins aud seeds which hay, settled to
the bottom into contact with the new
made alcohol, So that the latter may
combine well with the Culorlng matter
they contain This CONSISTS III stirring
up the whole mass from bottom 10 top.
II Is done twice during the process at
fermentation. II needs good one
hours hard work each time. II In done
hy men II takes tour men t. do It
we'll. Naked ~ Adam when he Was
good aud then they ~ ln-into the
wine val chin deep they 20 IN, aud
there, with feet aud hands, fingers aud
toes, turn over stir about aud mix the
liquid that was getting clear with the
pumacc that was dcposlting itself. The
nice, sweet, lInrdelais man only puts
hls foot IN II, hut the Burgundisn goes
the whole figure. II IL done 10 give the
wine iull body. They call IL fermrnl-
ing on the skin. lie Shuexplained this
a. nav astunishcd mlnd ayowed IL With
the simple lrankness al u Feejee canni-
bal, who admits his lundness Tor what
hc calls "luug pork Hut the feeIee
people are only hcathens. At the Hos.
picc first heard If this strange custom,
hut repeated inquiry aitcrward confirm
ed the story. Nor IL the custom contin-
cd Ia burgundy alone, or To France
alone. "Oncc," say they, "our wines
icrmcntcd nn the skin only one or two
DAYS, and were light in color and taste;
hut the consumers al late years demand
"A deeper color and richer taste, ~ IN W.
20" Stirring up with poles they tried,
but the warmth al the human body was
wanting, aud the result, they say, Was
not good; besides, it Was hard work