The morning call., 1893-05-28
WINE, THE MOCKER.
Ifere, When and How to
Drink 1t.
Where,


how to drink wine?"
The reply involves so many conditions and
affects so many nationalities represented iii the
United States that | do not know that'I can
give this article better pref ee than by giving
in The words OF Arpad Haraszthy Inc drinking
habits of different peoples:
"The German drinks wine at all times; very
often In the shape of liquid sandwich-be-
tween two glasses OF beer-and finds his pleas.
ure in this mode of filling himself up The
American drinks whisky during the day and
night aud wine only when entertaining friends.
The Frenchm rarely drinks wine between
meals. rese rving that satisfaction for the table
or Immediately afterward. The Spaniard uses
his wine as do the French; likewise does the
Portuguese. The Italian drinks wine at the ta-
bic and whenever he is thirsty. The Engllshman
takes his port at The table and his ale to quench
his thirst. The Russian drinks his whisky or
spirits at any time. and his champagne through
out his meal, if he has the e,,Ds 10 crafty this
propensity The Hungarian drinks his vine
whenever he can get it.''
'When and where?"
Ii is impossible TO emphasize too strongly the
statement that wine beverage SHOULD be
dru3k only at the table. Many well-meanng
Americans srem to think that the Creator OF
all good things intended wine as a tlpple.
Nothing could be farther from The truth. AS
an aid TO the digestion, as a rejuvenator OF tired
muscles, an aching heal and nerves that are
fairly ON edge, do not know Of anything more
soothing and satisfactory than good old dry wine
served at the proper temperature and III
proper manner. For the more alcoholic wines,
sReh as port. sherry. Madeira, tokay ana Others
have little use, except b II little dry port
with The dessert, and this only occasionally.
Tie kings of all wines are the clarets and the
burgundIes. Let these be of sufficiently high
standard and served with The niceties demanded
by arI-for serving wine is an art too little un-
derstood d-and the habitual wlnt-drDker wants
scarcely anything else.
"M hen and where" can be answered cal
ways at the tabl-. and preferably after the days
work and worry are over"
This is a question which might open up an
endless discussion. Different people and DIFF
ferent times have had different modes of serv-
ing wines For instance, in England to-day it
is the proper thing 10 serve champagne with
The roast, whereas we have usually been ac-
customed 10 reg ,rd 1t as proper with desert, or
even as tipple. The rules as 10 the lime and
order of serVing different wines are modified so
frequently that II would take McAlllster TO
keep track OF the numerous changes that are
made. For all occasions think Jnat three or
four wines are sufficient, ana cannot 100
strongly deprecate the now happily obsolete
custom of serving six or eight varieties.
One of The fl ST requirements in serving wine
is to pace 1t before the drinker at the proper
temperature. The dry wines. such as Rhine
wine typeS and he SauerneS, should be served
cold, but not lee cold. Probably 40 10 so de-
erees Fahrenheit, or trlfle warner, Is about
right. The cold seems TO be necessary with
these wines 10 bring out TO perfection their
bouquet and their favor.
Carets and Burgundies should be drunk
moderately warm. say about 20 and rs degrees
Fahrenheit. There is no greater barbariy
than TO add lumps OF ice 10 these wines, unless
ii be TO dose them with sugar or soda" For
my own drinking like a burgundy about rs
degrees. W rmth is as necessary to such wines
as cold is 10 the Rhine wines and Sauternes.
Port, sherries and MadeiraS should be drunk
fairly warm.
champagne should be served cold. but never
iced The custom of placing Jumps of ice in
champagne destroys its flavor, bouquet-in
fact. all OF It's best qualities and is TO be ranked
with the sin OF ice and sugar III caret. Let
this wine be placed on the table at about 40
degrees, and the driGker Will be SURPRISED at
the admirable qualities which lie Will find de-
yeloped, provid, d he has hitherto been a
driuker of the fiat. ice-bathed article.
Regarding be glasses for wine. let them first
of all be thin. Rough and heavy glasses de-
stroy part OF the illusion OF drinking for rest
assured the pleasure of wine-d drinking rests In
happy combination of eve, palate and stomach.
Tinted glasses for all wines should, in my esti-
nation, be eSchewed l know that it is the GUS
tom TO serve Sauterne and Rhine wines in dell
caiely tinted yeilowish green glasses,
but in many cases the color is too deep.
l have seen pretty effect produced by serving
Saulernes in slightly iridescent glasses. but, as
a rule, avoid Them all. Clear, white, thin
glasses will he found the best. The color OF
The wine will then be seen at It's best, as with
the case OF clarets.
Tie accepted shapes of glasses are well
known. On this point might insist that sherry
should always be served from the conical
glasses especially dedicated 10 this wine. Sherry
in a port glass is an Artistic failure TO say the
least, as is port IN a sherry glass. Concerning
champagne glasses much can be said. The
glasses now ordinarily used always seem 10
me TO he much better suited for beer than for a
wine like champagne, no matter how finely they
may be cut or ornamented. The old-fashIoned
champagne glass, sleDderly cOnical thin, aud
with a Ioag stem always pleaSes me The most,
giving the drinker every opportunity to watch
the play OF color and sparkle in the wine. The
goblet shaped glasses with hollow stem are
less acceptable.
inexperienced winehanders of the San Fran
cisco hotels and restaurants that any wine
which sho US a sediment is defective. Arising
from ignorance, this opinion has spread 10 many
consumers. A claret or burgundy well as other
wines ought TO show healthy sediment IL long in
bottle. such wines should be decanted before
coming 10 the table. but this is an operation for
an expert. woRld not trust II ordinarily TO the
average cellarman or waiter employed IN The San
Francisco hotels and restaurants. wh0m have
frequently seen handie bottle OF old elaret
burgundy as II IL stick of fire wood.
Many time l have had murder IN my heart
while watching these gentry handle wines,
and the worst OF ii is that it only requires little
patience ana time 10 acquire the knaek Of
Gecantng to perfection.
Concerning the order OF serving II is impoSsi-
Die to give any rules for guidance. Let that Dc
left in cases Of public dinners to the rules Of
society. They Will have their own way, even II
1t comes to port with the soup and champagne
wi II the fish. For myself like a glass af
Rhine wine with tie oysters. one Of SauterDes
with the soup and f>L-a DarbariIy with the
soup according TO the latest fad-one of claret
with the enifee and some butgundy, the King
of all wines. with the roast. With The dessert
in English fashion with Tie roast or even the
eniree. prefer one glass Of diy port if there
are nuts with the dessert. otherwise no wines
or queurS before The coffee
All Ibis talk regarding the order of service,
however, " largely matter of personal Opin-
Ion. IL would not appeal to all paIates to omit
the champagne or lhe brandy after the coffee.
have often Thought that Americans do not
appreciate as fully as they should the abso-
lute 0enebt arising from winedrinkne. We
are high-strung, nervous people who have
DO time TO live. who take Standing lunches pre-
ceded by cocktails, who eat dinners whose
masterpieces are pies and pastry and who end
by becoming victims of King dyspepsia. We
do not consult as we should the demands OF
The inner man, and II will require gener lions
OF people 10 bring us 10 the true manner of
living. We are very apt to talk of our climate
It's advantages <Ind It's nealtll-giving properties,
but liImiy believe that the great mission of
tbiS SAME elm ate is to reduce To subsection the
restlesSness OF the peeple and make CalIfOr-
mans the merry-hearted race that nature in
her surroundings INTENDED them 10 be.
1Il IN