The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-29
THE WINE.
Champagne. How II Is Made and who Dis
covered ~.

From the New York Tribune.
Champagne, as everybody knows, was
invented-that is the word TO use, for the
wine certainly was not a discovery-by
Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk, in
1858. Being appointed TO the post of cell
lar-man at the Abbey of 81. Peter. in the
village of Hautvillers, on the Marine, some
five miles from Epernay and fifteen from
Reims, he conceived the dca Of "marry-
ing' various wines. The product of one
vineyard was noted for its fragrance,
another for its generosity, n third for its
color. a fourth for its preventative quail
ties, and so on. by judicious offending
Dom P~arignon produced a grand wine, n
sparkling wine that burst from the
bottle, and overlooked the glass.
Moreover, il was white, though
made from black grapes. IL so far
excelled all other wines hat il quickly
won the first place and took the name of
the acknowledgements. Vast i'm
provements have been made in the manu-
facture Of champagnes since the death of
the monk in l7l5, but the principles he in
troduced have never G abandoned.
The newly-exprcssed juice of the grape,
after the first fermentation i'm casks, Is
conveyed To the cellars or "caves" in the
chalk rock, and after "A brief period il is
racked and ready FOR making the ~''cuvee,"
which consists in offending or mixing
the wines of various vineyards together
in sue proportions as to produce "A per-
feet wine. As the result depends on the
skill, art, experience and judgment of the
''taster," he hampagnes of the several
different manufacturers differ accord
ingly. In order To insure the greatest
uniformity the mixing is done in
gigantic watts, containing from co.
600 Ia 5000 bottles. The wine is
then returned into casks, and at
the proper time in May or June bottled,
securely corked and laid away for a least
two years and a half in the cellars. Soon
after bottliug the second fermentation
takes place, which produces the effer-
vcscence and forms "A sediment. When
the wine is ripe for use IL is shaken
sharply several times a day for from
three Ia eight weeks by skilled workmen
called ''remneurs." In order To detach
the sediment from the bottle n get il 10
rest On the cork, the bottles being racked
neck downward. Then comes the work
of the ''degorgeur," who carefully loosens
the cork, which flies out. carrying the scd-
iment with il and a small quantity Of the
wine. This makes room for the dosage"
which is prepared according To the mar
ket for which the wine Is intended. This
dosage II u liquor compounded by each
manufactures after "A recipe of his own
consisting mainly Of old wine of the best
quality, a lash of the best cognac
and some pure sugar candy. Ii
determines To "A great extent the
character of the wine, whether il
shall he dry or sweet, light or strong. Az
ter the dosage" is added the bottle is re-
corkcd and the wine is then ready for
market. Only new bottles are used. and
the greatest care Is exercised 10 secure
sound ones. Because of the pressure
which the gases of the wine bring To bear
upon il. the champagne bottle is one of
the strongest and heaviest made, weigh
ing nearly two pounds. Its sides must he
Of uniform thickness. the bottom solid,
the neck perfectly round with an even
u gradual conycrgence, the inside
loo and polished and the elements OF
the glass such as will not mix with or ac,
upon the wine. IL costs at wholesale about
six cents. The aim In bottling champaign,
Is To fix the pressure at about five atmos-
phercs. When il has five and three-quar.
ter a~tmosphercs It's known as''grand nous.
seux," and IL above that there Is extreme
danger Of its bursting the bottle. Not-
outstanding the utmost care there il
considerable breakage by the imprisoned
gases. The average loss ranges from
three tn eight per cent