Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-15
CH.iNIP.IGNE S.
Something About the Country That Pro-
duces the Sparkling Vintage.


duces the sparkiing Vintage.
Floyd y. Wilson in December lippincotts.
The vineyard district of France, from
which is produced substantially the
worlds supply Of champagne, is con-
tanned within an area of 30 miles square,
with Reims as its commercial and catle-
dral city. Driving through the country
from Reims, the towers of the grand
cathedral of Notre Dame loom up, de-
flying space when every other evidence
of the city is lost in the horizon. This
Incompatible type of Gothic construc-
ton stands forth like mighty sentinel
to all the surrounding country The
vineyard men seem to reverence it, and
to glory in referring to Reims always,
not as the commercial but as the cathe-
dral city of the province of Champagne.
The Vine-lands in this area produce
the white, red and black grapes from
which champagne is made, and yet
these same roots planted beyond the
confines of this district fail to produce
grapes from which the high quality of
wine, perfect in bouquet and flavor, can
be obtained. Why this territory is SO
limited, why it may not be extended in
definitely, are queries the agricultural
chemist has left unanswered. Again
with all the care and attention given to
the cultivation of the grape here, it is
impossible, from year to year, to attain
to anything like uniformity in the
quality OF the harvest from the same
vines. The season, with Its variety of
rain, and wind, and sun, seems to be the
potent factor. The fertilizers used on
the soil and the care bestowed upon the
vines are second to that mightier
power
In some years the harvest is so in
ferior that the wine made is either saved
for blending with later vntages, or
bottled and sent out under a label in
vented by, or bearing the name of, some
dealer who purchases the entire vintage.
Even in the best years some portion of
the harvest will fall SO far below the re-
quired standard that its product can
only be labelled and sold as u cheap or
rejected wine. There is no doubt, how
ever, that the champagne houses of
France, after learning something of the
nicely of the palate of their customers,
cater accordingly.
The English taste is said to be the
best, the most eXacting, and to be salts
llCi OIl9 h'tIl tllS tOp Va tlS NAHt"5to'
In fact, there is no tirst.class hotel or
restaurant in England which would pre-
tend to print its champagne wine-list
without naming the year of the vintage.
On this list one will never find the Off
year vintages-thosc in favor for the
past 10 years being 1880, 1884 and 1887.
The vintage of the year 1883 proved TO
be fair one, but that of 1890 is said to
have been the best for many years, and
it will be ready for market about the
time OF the opening of the Columbian
Exposition. The average host in Eng
land offers to his guest not only Il choice
vintage, but champagne fully 10 years
old, while the average host in this coun-
try is governed, in his selection, solely
by the label on the bottle In short,
dining as fine art has reached some Of
ourclubs and some Of our homes, but
the busy citizen of this country, as It
rule, leaves the details Of his state or
social dinners entirely to his caterer.
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