The sun., 1889-12-08
FROM VINEYARD TO CASE.
sEoRLBs BT EXPERTS OF CBA1rPAGNE
AND THE GREAT WINES GROWN THERhs

The History OF = Hottie OF lbr1 tFem rs
birth In the Grape Husk 60 See Death et
the Dinner TabIe-EAoy the Same Wine
~ Made Sweet or Dry-Curiosities OF
Co1Or-ERsrveseenas ts OFTEN Preferred
to Flavor-The MooteA Questions OF
Leakage and BrsskaGe-Less Aleohol In
coed Champagne than IN Rhine Wine'
Leakage and breakage" have been OBJ
staoles in the way Of champagne handlers for
several hundred years, ever since Dom PertR-
non. In fact, began corking MP the newly DIS
covered sparkling wines OF Hautvillers 1t Is
not strange that these were the chief reasons
why some OF New York's most famous Boni-
faces recently declared themselves In favor OF
an increase Of half q dollar the bottle In the
Vin de Pericnon. Champagne hadn't boen bot
tied by more than two generations OF French
mon before some wine merchants, in spite Of
It's popularity, refused to buy or deal In 1t at
all on account Of excessive breakage. Their
bottles were not particularly we'll made. and
in moro than one instance bankrupt OF Reims
declared that his fortune flew away with tho
splintered fragments Of the shattered glass"
The cause OF this bursting OF the bottles and
the remedy for 1t were not understood then.
They are now thoroughly appreciated by both
the bottlers in France and the importers In
New York. But there seems to be decided
difference OF opinion on this subject between
the men who sell by Wholesale and their GUS
toners who dispense champagne by retail.
And It is curious that In neither England nor
France. the only two countries In the world
that consume moro champagne than the
United States, Is there heard anything like the
complaint-beyond the manufactures them-
selves-of leakage and breakage with which
American students Of sdpoir pirre have been re-
Raled from timo to time In the past years.
!, In ho tNa alt Vfanf ff
fact that most OF the champagne used in the
United States averages hardly more than
twelve months Of age. while dry English
wines are kept and drunk for ten or twelve
years. A vintage like that OF IA actually goes
on improving for ten years, II laid down In q
cool. perfectly dry cellar OF an even tempera-
ture OF from So to So Fahr. or less. Such
cellar should be neither light nor dark.
scrunulously clean. and we'll ventilated. The
bottles should be laid In iron bins-those with
patent sliders are the best--on horizontal bars
OF wrought iron. securely riveted into wrought
iron upriRhts. But where are such cellars
found in this country In numbers sufficient to
affect the American average Of leakage and
breRkaRe2
The accepted American idea seems to be
that OF some well-known New York importers.
that when kept two or three years the wines
rot and the corks shrink" and the wine loses
first its efferyescence and then its bouquet.
But may this not be true only Of wines not
kept In proper cellars and bins. or those
hastily and perhaps carelessly bottled for the
American tradep" OF course, diseased corks
affect the flavor OF the wine. and the peculiar
diseases which attack champagne oorks only
after they have been put into the wine-and
are not noticeable II existent In any degree
before bottlinR-may In some rare instances
ruin the entire contents OF q bottle. But leakage
is infnitesmal in properly bottled wines. and
means the bursting OF bottles
after the cases have left the hands Of the whole-
sale importers on this side-is not more than
one-tenth OF per cent, and 1t iY largely due to
the carelessness OF walters. So neither Leak
age nor breakage may be accepted by Well-in-
formed people as excuses either for an increase
IN the retail price of the most popular Of wines
Or for the occasional inferiority Of awell-known
brand put up for uso here to the same brand
shipped to Great Britain.
The bare mention OF o contemplated In
crease In the retail price aroused a storm Of in
1iRnation in the breasts Of people who didn't
1rink champagne once year. The lore and
he love Of the king Of wines are universal and
ts literature spsrkles with much that is
brightest and Rayest in the world OF letters.
u
riar 1t has been hailed as sort Of elixir OF
light, life. and love. DIR. Champagne's" " ex-
oloits, and they are peculiarly interesting in
his catarrhal cline. cover the whole Ramut OF
he faculty's diseases but are chiefly notable
or their wondrous cures In nosoloRy. He who
las never had an influenza may own
hat he has never heard the praises of
DR.. Champagne" DR.. Druitt. a famous
Briton. long, long ago pronounced champagne
% be " Q true stimulant to mind and body. alike
'apid. volatile. transitory, and harmless" de-
'laring that among the maladies benefited by
t are neuralgia, malaria. and colds He even
yoes further. does DR.. Druitt, and says that
whenever you feel pain, with exhaustion and
owness." you should call in Dr.. Champagne.
vho. as he touches the lips, sends an electric
han whom nothing better comforts or rests |
no stomach or Is a greater Rntidote to nausea" |
N0Wts Is S9ost sSe to to- say th9t teSvsry69dy
las had at some time or another a neuralgia. |
nausea a cold. or feeling OF pain with ex-
'een lucky enough to escape all those ailments
nay never have heard OF or be Indifferent to |
his marvellous laughing doctor.
Yet. according to the canons. the vast ma |
,adly after, they have called him In. The
Is being diluted without spelling, and icing
loes dilute IT, ,While the resultant excess OF
old destroys alike the fragrant bouquet and |
he delicate flavor Good wine cannot be iced |
'eow q temperature Of 500 without suffering |
n bouquet and flavor. yet the favorlte way OF |
Thinking champagne In this country is at |
emperature cold enough 20 permit Of the |
OF ice needles all through It. Per-
laps II may not be uninte erestinR to New York
RS who have apparently set up champagne |
anons OF their own. to road what several |
hampagne experts say OF their recent visits to |
he province OF Champagne.
THE CHAMPAGNE VINE AT HOME.
There are four kinds Of vines chiefly grown
n the province Of Champagne all OF the pinedu
ariety. so named because OF the conical shape
4 the clusters. The h'anc Dinsau or plant
lore OF Ay' has small leaves and yields squat
lunches OF small round grapes with thickish
kins. OF blush black tint, sweet In flavor.
The plant uert d0r6' has vivid green leaves
md yields dark oval grapes, very thin skinned
nd juicy; the third, grown chiefly in Very and
,erzenay. is the plant grtS or 'burot,' a
elicate vine bearing brownish grapes from
vhtch o light and perfumed wine is produced:
he last 10 the eDtnette. white grape and is
rown at Coamant and all along the c6t6 d Aire.
Is golden berries are sweet and juicy, but 1t
ipena later than the black varieties
The hardy metInieT or miller the black and
7hite 00uais. the white Hlelier and the black
annals, the tourLon. the mdrnOt. the cohdraS
nd thP plant dottI are grown but are less es-
eemed.
Some OF the famous champagne firms own
lrge vineyards. but in Champagne AZ, 900 acres
I vines are owned by $4,000 proprietors. 80
he individual vine naturally becomes OF con-