The Cecil Whig., 1886-05-22
MAKING BOGUS CHAMPAGNE.

From the Nctr York u orid.
The following advertisement appeared
in morning newspaper in this city some
days ago:
t1nnn A COMPLETE champagne factory to
OlUUU, be sold. Bloom tield street, Hubokcn.
A World reporter found in the base
ment of dilapidated brick tenement
house on side street within block of
the Hoboken City Hall. Entering the
basement door and cropping along a mar
row passageway Uttered with boxes, the
reporter finally found himself in dingy,
dark room, the floor of which was almost
paved with bottles. a blend young man
wearing spectacles, i'll reply to an inquiry
as to where the proprietor could be found,
answered:
"IIe isn't here much, but if you want
to buy can tell you all ABOUT the busi-
ness
Without giving the reporter an oppor-
| tunity to Gispel the idea that he was a
capitalist the young man said that he was
a chemist, and in Germany had been for
many years engaged in the manufacture
of bogus champagne. He talked very
glibly Of his special fitness to conduct
such a business. and was very frank in
telling of tricks OF the trade, evidently
hoping that if his hearer should be- in
duced to purchase the fac ory he would
retain him as manager.
at is common thing to make artiti-
cial clampaa mes, for the m1jnrity of peo
pie dJil'U know the difference" he said.
They do it il France and can safely
say that all Of the genuine article made
in The world Can he drunk in one day
"Do you initiate the imported brand>?'
| he was asked.
"Of course we do Why, an American
won't drink American champagne, and
the few who do would pay as high pric,
for it as Is charged for the imported
brands. In Germany and France they
don't initiate brand to make it sell
When they do this it is to get higher
prices. But if we did not call our man.
ufacture imported we could not get half
as much as We do for it.
Most of the champague in stock bore
labels that were fac simies OF those on
two well known brands supposed to be
most popular at this time. In general
appearance the bottles are similar 20
The only defect in the bottling of the
wi le by which il ~ Il b. detected as an
imitation is IN the cork, which does not
bear the makers mark and is squeezed
and dented like soda water bottle cork $
y reason of impcl feet machinery. IL is
not too much to say of the contents OF
he bottles, however, that the majority
" the people who frequently drink
>pal king wine would be deceived. and
IN imtItiI III of one well knt brand
y ,uld pass muster III table with I'LL $ ave
4 cnnEoS. ear
Cataw ba or some other sweet VINE is
used because in the manufacture of the
couE terfeit champagne 1t requires less
sug II than others. California wine is
preferred on this account and because it
is so cheap costing when bou 5ht by the
barrel only about 10 or 80 cents a gallon.
Five quarts of the champagne are made
from 4 gallon of the California wine
The wine is dawn off i'll big tub, to
which is added enough granulated sugar
to bring it up to the proper degree of
sweetness. Chemicals are employed to
neutralize the acids of new vines ard t.
produce the desired bouquet. For addi-
tional iiavorlng various oils are used
one or a combination of them for each
brand, such as celery for Neuve Clique
and Slllery and apricot for Heidsieck.
After the sugar has been dissolved the
mixture is filtered and then charged with
gas, as is done with soda water, and is
then bottled under pressure of so to
100 pounds. The process is very smpl,
and not more than two hours are re-
quired for bottling forty gallons Then
the labels are affixed to the bottles and
the gold or silver foil wrapped around
the corks and necks Then the bottles
are packed in old boxes in which cham
pagne was imported, and which are
bought in small quantities at 10 cents
each. There is such trade in bogus
champagne that there are one or two
firms in this city who make a speciality
of initiating the genuine labels, which
are well executed and are sold at low
price.
This was the table of actual expenses
made up for the reporter of a case of a
dozen bottles:
Box and straw 10