New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-14
Drunk IN THIS COUNTRY.

HARD TIMES LEssENED THE IMPORTS LAST ySass
OVER 10000 CASES.
II one may judge by the imports of champagne
for lS9s hard times have made champagne-drnkers
economic on their wines. The importation for 1888
was 20 per cent less than In the previous year,
aud this means more than 1t seems TO mean. for the
country has only recently become an extensive con-
sumner Of champagnes so that the habit having
been generally introduced. there should be heavy
Increase for 1893 over 1892. financial conditions being
the same There comparatively little cham
payne drunk in this country quarter of century
ago and the sales In the last few years have mount
Cd at astonishing rate. 1t Is not unlikely that II
the ancial depression had not changed the taste
Of many people for wines the importatons for 1898
would have been % per cent heavier than Tor the
preceding twelve months. The American people
make fatis'' OF everything that they take up.
People getting into the way Of drinking champagne
are likely great deal more OF II than they
really care for.
Running over list Of foreign houses which exc
port TO the United States one finds that only seven
houses increased their exports to this country In
1893 and in elch case the Increase trivial Some
Of these shipments might he compared as almost
nothing little better than almost nothing. For
instance. one house which had not before sent any
OF wines this country shipped 100 cases in 1898.
and another 2n eases. one agent here who had
tried 20 cas- I'm 1892 took go last year.
II Is in the compared shipments OF houses which
are well known I'm this country that one sees the
result Of lack Of spending money The American
agents whose sales In this country are the largest
OF all houses imported year before last 1850 cases.
Last year they imported 715l. Next comes firm
whose importatons here were in 1892 Co.'S and in
1893 $500 Here are the figures Of four other agents:
49, - $s sS s%s i iss ' 7sas
These are houses whose wines are extensively
drunk in this country. 50 that the shrinkage Is Sig
nificant. one house which exported TO the United
States In 1892 6,I06 cases sent last year only gs
cases
There is a trick In the champagne and in fact in
all wine and liquor trades known as pushing" A
French house which casts envious eyes on the
American market has to push its wine to get II
sold here. The agents resort 10 all manner OF ex-
pedients TO sell their wine. They give prizes to
head bartenders stewards, etc They create q
fictitious demand by asking for certain brand In
hotels and restaurants where that particular brand
is not In stock. They employ other men to make
the rounds and do the same thing. When they are
with a crowd they order their own brand pay for
1t and make the rest Of the party drink H. Then.
Of course. the next man who orders calls for the
wine.
This pushing" OF wines makes it impossible 10
Judge OF the American taste for any one particular
champagne one brand may be pushed" into de-
mand one year AMI allowed 10 fall from grace IN
the next The idea is TO spend great deal OF
money year In getting wine before the public.
and then to make a largo profit succeeding
years II is living ones reputation. SO that II
the sale Of a few brands s..:reases from year to
year that Is not a fair estimate from which 10 draw
conclusions and the same holds If the sale Of
a few brands decreases. But when We take twenty
three American agents and compare their sales for
two years We get good idea OF the whole trade In
this country Outside OF those twenty-th houses
all other In this country brought here In 1892
only 1856 cases: Last year AL other agents I'M
ported 92s7. The imports for 1892 OF twentyth three
agents and all others were 3jO,622 cases. but last
year they fell Off 10 27sj20. This is decrease or
- cases. representing wine which would cost the
consumer over S3.00o.t.1 But consumption OF u.s.
$50 cases. mos, people will say who have not the
financial taste for champagne Is very great deal.