The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-01
NO CHANCE TOR CHEAP CHAM
PAGNE.
The Vintage Abundant. But Prices Re-
main Where They Were.

| The Vintage Abundant. But Prices he
main Where They Were.
a certain faint hope that champagne
may become cheaper in the future IS
suggested by the report that this year
the yield of wine in the marine de-
partnent of France has been unusually
abundant. Experience of the past,
however, is not encouraging, for hither-
to the quantity of wine made has no
effect upon price. In 1898, for instance,
the Marne vineyards produced sixteen
ard a quarter million gallons, but the
cost of the vintage to the public was
in +he case Of well known brands, ex-
actly the same as that of the finer vim
tage of 1885 when little more than six
million gallons were made. Purchasers
may be pardoned for thinking when ma
ture is unusually prodigal in her gifts
they snould be permitted to share In
the benefit, instead of seeing it con-
fined to the grower and the shipper
There will always be strong demand
for cllamEag ne as a festive beverage.
Without teing strongly alcoholic, it pos
sesscs Cnrivalled exhilarating proper
ties. Nevertheless, the official returns
show that there has been a heavy de-
cline in the consumption of the wine,
and, though in large degree to the war
in South Africa, we may reasonably as
sumo that the exhorbitant price charg-
ed in many instances has had it's in
fiuence upon the public. It is true that
cnamragnc can never be very cheap
wine, owing to the extreme care re-
Quired for the selection of the grapes,
and all the SUBSEQUENT processes of
preparation. Moreover, as the vintage
wines CT two or three of the best known
houses invariably appreciate in value
imura diately they are put upon the
market, it cannot fairly be said that
those firms are giving any cause of
complaint TO their customers
The trade, however, is now in po-
sition which is quite without precedent
Following upon the more or less excel
lent vintage of 1889, 1892, 1898 and 1895
came the 1s9S's, the 1895 and the 1900s
all of which are expected to attain re-
nown. Such succession of fine vim
tages has never before been known,
ard it would be contrary to all CONNER
cial principles If the consumer should
derive no advantage from this album
dance of good wine. 1t may be remark
ed that the hotel keepers and restau-
ranters are more responsible than the
shipper for the eXtravagant rates de-
at their establishments. With
in recent years, indeed, the hotel trade
has made the life of the shippers agent
Some OF the hotel compa-
Lies demand large sums-as much as
G 300 ard even $500 a year-for quot
ing and selling any particular brand,
and smaller proprietors make claims
which they consider proportionate to
their inn ortance, while the walters ask
for "corkage," or a commission on corks
returned by them. Certain houses, of
course, are strong enough to stand out
against these exactions, but others
yield, and, it is to be presumed, have
The sale of their wine pushed accord
ngly.
All This may be OF little interest to
The consumer, except that it should lead |
min, to disregard the recommendations |
d champagne which are advanced by |
OF walters, but he has a right |
20 expect that the price he pays shall |
DC mole i'll proportion with the intrisic |