Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-09-02
French Vines and Wines.

fbluIIt HAS IhtCI( DtCH ISSutu tIDiu
the Paris publishing house of E Pion 81
Co, entitled LA Vigne-FOysge Autour
des WINS de France" The author is Nj
Bertall and the book is well described IN
q sub title as "a physiological, anecdotsl,
historical, humorous, and somewhat scien-
tifc study" The volume is az indlspcn.
sable one for q connoiseur in wines, and
is full of Interesting information concern.
brands of wine about which little be.
yond their names is known in this coun.
try.
French wines may be divided into three
classes-white wines, blue wines and red
wines. The white wines may be called
the wines Of luxury, the red wines the ma
tional wines Of the c0uniry, and the blue
wines those of the poor: Some of the de-
tails about the more expensive wines are
not the less interesting from the fact that
these wines rarely get to this country,
but are represented by more or less clever
counterieits. The finest of the Bordeaux
wine is that from the Chateau L4ftte es
tate, property bought by the Rotschilds
in 1868, st the Geath of the Count Du.
chalel In ten years the profits on the
wines /, produced returned the entire pur
chase money to the Rothschild5 The
value from year to year. After the sale in
1853 there was an auction In the cellars
of all the accumulated stock. The stock
of Comet" vine, 50 called because it
was produced IN 1Sl1-the year of the
great comet was sold at 1921 bottle
The variations in value are shown by the
sale of the stock of 1868 at 81 90 bottle,
and that of 1864 at So 80 bottle. The
oil pn oil
TO taste the wine before buying. All the
celebrated restaurants of France aud the
great connoisseurs of wiue were present.
Every year since 1872 was represented, the
smallest number Of bottles left from any
one year being nine for 1907, which sold
for So 40 a bottle, and the largest mum Der
2S3 of the year 1850, each bottle selling
also for s. 40 Thirty I've bottles Of the
year 1915 b-ough SO bottle; thirty-three
bottles of 1923 brought just double-S12 3
bottle; 1913 bottles OF 1Si9 brought $l3
apiece, and the wine of 1894 sold for Sl4
bottle.
The Chateau Lstitte is not sn imposing
pile; il dates from the sixteenth century,
with many additions more or less orns.
mental. At the beginning of the French
revolution the chateau belonged to one
Pichard, whose head was cut off and
whose property vas confiscated and sold
to Dutch company, who in turn sold il
to s certain Vaulerterghe. In 1869 ii wss
announced that the heirs of FsulerE-rghe
would sell the property a. auction, Roths-
child, who had long been anxious TO own
some renowned vineyard, determined to
buy it. The Bordeaux people were Jeal-
ous Of foreigners owning their most pre-
cious Jewel, and a syndicate was formed
10 bid for Chateau LATTE. But the old
Baron james de Rnthschiid himself, he
who possessed an income amounting 70
nearly 800 900 600 3 year, outbid the
Bordeaux capitalists and got the property
for about 100000. Il gas an excellent
investment 1t has earn I'm the last ten
years from S200Ce0 TO s. y00Cl year
rhe sale OF the vine OF 1915 brought
mere than S3ClCG). The expense attach.
ed to working the property does not ey.
coed 500 year. far, the phylloXera
has not been seen At LATTE.
To gather the grap.3 al LStitte three
hundred men and women 60 from the
neighboring country aud from Bordeaux
every year and remain on the estate tor
ten days, They 81 to pass week with
Roihschlld,n IS they say. Women and
children carry on their backs the baskets
into which they throw the grapes Men
With deep hand,csrts receive these bss-
kets when they are full, snd the grapes
reach the press room hslf an hour sitter
they arc picked Men and women get In
enormous vats aol dance upon the pie Of
of grapes with their naked feet This has
I been The custom from time immemorial.
Machinery has been tried as cheaper and
! cleaner, but ii was found that the ms.