New-York tribune., 1880-04-04
FRENCH VINES AND WINES.
p,vr1s AMONG TIE VINEYARDS.

TRAVELS AMONG TIE VINEYARDS
.~ ,pr,.r,c vo1rmr-1IE FAMOUS FRENCH VINE
vans DESCRIBED WITH PEN AND PkN'IL-
NOW AND WHERE THE BEST wINEs ARE MADE
sumptuOus volume has recently Dcch lssuc"
from the Paris publishing house OF E Iioh Co.' '
titled LA Vigpc Voyage "uto'r dies WINS re i'','
The author is NJ Bertall, and the book IL wen
I'm a subtitle as "phySol0glcal' hhe'"o,"
historical numerous. and sonawh"t scien''h' s'""S'
NJ. Brrall IS equally ready with zen ana pencil ana
when he has described famous chateau rccouh'uu"n
anccdoe or tod how the barccgged |e"daGe"s u"noc
upon fhc heaps OF ripe grapes 20 tho s"uhu oi Wv
lin he dashcs off dOz clever sketches 10 Hus""'
hs narrative Thus the book Is half pictures ana nan
etter-pcss and can bc read through by the llusIl"
,o,s alone ~ one has not time follow thctcxt Inc
outhor roams about at will and without much method
over the sunny plains along The Gafohne Whchce coo
tbe white aud red wines Of Bordeaux through tue PIC
resqne region skrting tho base oi the fyreheeS "o
produccs the cheap wines consumed Dy lne "ulAln~
clesses IN the valley Of Tie RhnG To the C6ics "Or the
homo of t,e Iich Burcundes and finally TO the chaky
hilIsdes of the ChaIupaene Itfy-always gay anu
chatty and equally ready TO carol song Win the pe
ants iu the vineyards. 10 discuss the guam!
OF the yield OF different years with some
veteran cellarer TO sample Dottle Oh luihou'
oru in the chateau OF wealthy proprietor. While
,h rcadcr 10 going through the book feels If lie
were on a pleasure tour with genial companion bent
on entertaining him with pictures aneedotes' bis OF
legend and romance and Gay cOnces But when he has
AnIshed the volume ho finds lie las almost unawares
been put possession OF stock OF solid Information
about the chief Industry OF France.
| Tho Wines OF France are classified in three
chief eaegorcs-whito wines. blue wines, red
wInes-White, red and bluc-the French national
coors The white wines, says VI. Bcrtal are wines OF
luxury and OF exceptional use In ordinary life from tie
Chabrs and the Saumur which moscn the oysters and
eulyen choice Dinners TO the grand Champagne, which
.tt...r nd Tho rand
sauernc which difuses its golden amber radiance on
festival occasions White Is the wine 0f the rich.
Red wines are tho French wines par excel
lence-the wines of custom and Of good taste
those which especially rejoice the heart aud
tho brain enlarge the mind and give everything
"A roseate hue. To them belong the warm and ransDar
cut COLOR aud the delicate, elegant and declons bOu
ouct Blue wines the wines Of the poor. OF the
mechanic and the laborer. They warm In the stom
ach but sharp the throat they revive the body and
the mind II taken moderately, but II drunk In excess
exaspcrate the vital forces and destroy the play Of
thought.
The question as 10 whether the red wines OF Bordeaux
or those OF burgundy deserve the first rank Is an old
one and is no nearer "a settlement than it was hundred
years ago "Your wines simple drinks for sick pco
nls say the Burgundans. Yours head splitting
beverages" retort the BOrdelals. Ours can travel
with iupunty." say the frat Ours improve marvel
OusIy with age" declare the second. Most consumers
after the manner OF BrIlatSavarn who was asked Mt
n dinner party by the lady Of the house whether he
preferred Bordeaux Burgundy.s Madame" replied
the magistrate, IN his graVest tones this Is case
which has occupied me for long time, and which am
desirous OF deciding but experience much pleasure
examining the evidence on both sides that postpone
| my decision from week to week."
The finest Of the Bordeaux wines is tho Chateau La
Atte, and close after it rank the Chateau MarGaux and
the Chateau LaOur. Lese alone classed OF the
first quality. The second quality includes arOsc, Rou-
zan, LeOvc, and adozeu other brands less known IN
American markets. The third fourth ana nth grades In
tho Bordeaux classification include few that
would recognized u this country Probably the Wines
OF these grades are generally labelled for American
sumption with names they have right to- Below
all theRe grades are three other classes called respect
| lively, Bourgeose, Artisan and Peasant wines Tho
Chateau Lahtte estate bought by the BarOns Al
phonse, Gustave ana Edmond ROthschd In 1868 on
the death OF the Count Duchate tor 1000 900 francs In
ten years the profits the wine 1t produced returned
the entire purchase money 10 the owners The
wines vary considerably I'm excellence ana value from
year year. After the sale OF the property there
an auction IN the cellars of ali the accumulated stock.
The highest price paid for twenty
one BOTTLES OF tho famous Comet wine, so
called from the fact that 1t produced IN 1911
the year Of tho great comet. II brought 12l francs
bottle. The great variation In the value Of Chateau
Laitte was shown by the sales OF tho product Of re-
cent years. 1864 wine bringing Is francs bottle.
while that OF 1868 sold for only z. In good years the
vineyards OF Chateau Latte yield only $50 casks OF
wine. The whole product save wnat the ROthschildH
reserve for themselves is sold in bulk TO sinRe WINE
merchant who dspOscs Of mos: of II 10 the gish nobil
ity. Very few bottles lind their way tho Atlantic
Most OF the so-calicd Chateau Lattc sold IN Europe
aud America is Bordeaux OF the second third quality
falsely labelled The king OF all burgundy wines the
Clos-Vougeot. lttlo before reaching Dion. says
NJ Bertall the train from Beaunc passes the right
long hillside bathed in sunlight Of famous as
pect, but carefully cultivated. Upon It's slope stands
huge bare looking structure dominated by two mas sye
square towers.
All at the cOuntenlnce OF my travelling com.
panOn usually so gay, assumed appearance OF ex-
ceptiOnal gravity lIG respectfully reDOYed Ills hat
Uncover" said he.
hastened TO initiate him.
But what for I" asked.
"salute the -Vouge0" he replied with esrnest-
country"
II was nn ancient custom. learned When regiment
passes on the rOad colonel orders the drums to beat
aud troops present In fact too much honor
cunnOt be paid 70 this exceptional product OF the Rcner
Ous soil Of Brugundy. tout seignenT tout holneur
The Clos vOugeot Vineyard contains about 20 acres
and gvcs average annual yield OF $4,000 gallons It
is probable says the author that at least ten times
much apOcrypha Clos -VOugeot wine is sold as genuine
The chateau was built by brotherhood OF Bcrnadine
monks In 1851 and remained In the possession Of tho