The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-01-25
toNnoWs WINE VAULTS.
Choice Liquors Preserved, in the Cellars

Choice Liquors Preserved I'm tho Cellars OF
b tho osIctropolls--Grapo Jnico and Brandy.
The total floor area at the vaults at
the London docks is million super
!icial feet, and in this space $4,000
pipes Of wing can easily DO stored, and
then room found for $4,000 casks OF
brandy. The various vaults arc built
In tho form Of a crypt. Tho largest Of
theso-tho e&st vault covers four
acres. of ElOund, and as we take our
light q small oil lamp fiXcd to tho end
of q piece of wood some eighteen
inches long, our guido informs us that
there are III this cellar alone twenty
one miles OF scantlipg wire, or minia-
ture railway lines. overwhich the bar.
GELS are rolled. .r,,s,, ,ssy, .3 y.
|, Tie r2of. for, yards and yards is Gov.
cred Elth 9 be3ptlful species Of fungus,
~ sss'S ! 9 hics is das to The
IS-ail tho rione noticeable, as where nc
barrels. lind. a temporary resting place
no fungus grows aloft. It is as LIGHT
as feathers, and takes the most eiab.
ornto ana artistic forms. Small hill
locks, gigantic punches of grapes, LONG
ropes, which puff of the breath will
snap in two, while such delicate de-
signs are to be found here as to make
the lover Of lacu envy the patterns.
In the nritst Of oil this mushrooms
grow, aadin tho season a good crop is
always secured.
The Drawing Room" covers nearly
an acrc. This is private vault, scru-
puioUsiy cte!tn, the sawdust carpet
unspottcd. 1t is rented from the com
pany by we'll known firm of wine
merchants, and as we examine q casls
marked Tho Duke" we learn how
testing is managed. The bung of a
barrel Is never removed for testing
purposes, but tho attendant has to bore
q small hole in the casll, and the wine
flows into tho ''docls" glass. Tho
faster having satisfied himself as to
strength, tho flow is stopped by the
insertion Of small stick of wood.
Every hoio he's to be accounted for,
Gnd the total must correspond with the
number OF tasting orders" issued
from tho owners Office. Sometimes a
whole barrel runs away in tasting.
Tho brandy cellar covers about seven
acres of ground and some q, 900 casks
/ arc resting there just now; but during
tho I'rauco-GGITnGn war the author
tiles coutvivcd TO provide accommoda-
ton for ~, GOO casks. All tho brandy
was driven out Cf France; its value
Yves Gf5, 600, Geo, and an official who
helped 10 receive the barrels at tho
time l92S IHGdc the interesting calcula-
ton Tat Ii they lad been placed i'm a
limo they would have stretched for
tAlrty-iour miles. There are casks of
brandy hcre-profusely decorated
with cotwcbs--over twenty years old.
One OF. tho gangways is nearly O quar-
ter OF mile long, and in the midst of
this huge cellar runs the snow tank,
into, ssi.isas al es.siuico, Stow, and
mud OF winter is poured
Tho waiting floor" where brandy
is improved by mixing one quality
with another, contains some of tho
largest spirit rcccptacles in the world,
gigantic yellow tubs symmetrically
made, Oh each of which is painted its
holding capabilities. Here is one which
requires 10000 gallons of liquor to fill
1t, another takes 5000, others 2,44O,
l,i@O SEQ and $50, something like a
thorSand gallons of brandy running
through the taps every day.
The mixing process has ceased at the
moment Of our visit, but it is whis-
pcrcd that in another corner of the
docks 4 large quantity of gin is about
to be converted into 'sweetencd." The
''swectenin@" barrel, holding the mod
est quantity of 500 gallons - into
which tho gin III its unsweetened state
is to be poured-is on one floor Above
1t, Immediately over its huge mouth,
IS an opening somc yards in length
ant! four inches deep by nine INCHES
wide, and into this Il rivulet of gin Is
a Y,
casks which are emptying themselves
into the barrel below. AS soon as these
Gl'e empty others take their place, and
the vat filled, the sugar in q liquid
Gtato. is added, tho whole mixed to-
gethcr, and shortly aftcrward it is
bottled, sent abroad and approved of
as the choicest Cream of the Valley"
A word about tho bottling depart
ment. As fast as tho wine is put into
bsttle it goes out for export, the
average number of dozens, sealed,
labeled, capsulcd and packed in cases
can case.a hundred dozen bottles be-
tween s and II o'clock in the morning.
La the cellar below the bottling room
where, by-thc-byc, GOO dozen bottles
can bo placed side by side of the floor
tho barrels are kept and although the
cellar is lighted with gas, fifty-four
lamps are needed for dark days, nine
sof these being 4 sDavy's" Here in one
corneIt orc the wax pans, the merchants
not only having to provide their own
bottles and labels, but wax into the
bargain. II takes five minutes to melt
q pan of wax 1t is placed in d copper
! pan, heated over q gas stove, and when
melted is Dlaco1 in n RECOGNIZABLE com
taining small spirit lamp, which
| l;cor3 tho wax in u liquid state, and
fnhlly the case is locked.
Tid-Bit3. zn-saa ala~ -I--.s. 4.
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