The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-27
THE TREATM ENT OF WINES.
A CONNOISSEUR'S ADVICE ABOUT
KEEPING AND SERVING THEN.
Mr.. II. l.. Feuerheerd's shensivc Little
book The Proper vino Cellar Conditions
for B0ttltng Delicate Qualities Of Fine
wines Correct Way tn Serve Wines.


This little book is the outcome of II visit
TO a friends house in the country, says H. l."
Feuerheerd Of Oporto. by way Of Introduction
TO n small volume which h. published a few
months ago for private Distribution. entitled
The Genileman's Cellar" The author has
been for many years "A Consul in Opor,o and
an acknowledged cunnoissrtr in wines. Tn"
butler in the country house mentioned in The
Introduction. knowing this fact, asked him
TO procure some literature on the duties of
his service and Mr., Feuerhecrd found 10 his
surprise that there was no such thing, Having
suffered himself from wine improperly served.
he began to writ. n few instructions for his
friends butler, and the result was IA small but
comprehensive book. lie begins with the
ideal wine cellar and concludes with IA. wine
on the table.
The ordinary cellar Of a well built house.
provided ii Is entirely underground and has
no hot water pipes, skylights or badly fitted
doors. should preserve a uniform temperature
and therefore should be n proper place for
the storing OF wine. II thermometer placed
at the entrance and another at the end Of the
cellar do not vary more than two or three de-
grees rom the hottest uminsr TO the coolest
winter day. the author IL willing To trust his
wines ,here, Uniformity in temperature is
the most desirable thing in a wine cellar and
by all odds the hardest TO achieve in "A privat"
cellar. Even Il gas burner Is Objectionable
in a wine cellar, Wine is living matter and
its life can he destroyed 10y either excessive
heat or cold. 100 degrees Fahrenheit destroys
the germs of fermentation with which all de-
veiopnent ceases. says the author, Every
spring and fall the germs oi fermentation
are more or less viyitird a. the sap IN the mother
vine rises and falls and the wine then under
goes "A dormant fermentation which pnriiie-
I each time. Sparkling wines and Madeiras
are almost excluded from this action because
of the carbonic acid gas in the former. and
In the latter tn. fermentation germs have
been killed. because il wa, reared in hot stores.
Changes of temperature IN these latter wines,
while not 80 serious, are undesirable.
Whatever care You take, SAYS the author,
you will invariably have more warmth NJ The
top OF ,our cellar Than below therefore il will
be- advisable To bin the sparkling wines, hooks
or moSelles al IN" bottom while clarct>, ports
and burgundies are bc-, placed in the middle
bins. and ohrrrles. sauterne>, madrlras and
marSala- AT the top. No wpll-regulatpd cellar
should have more than three tiers or bins"
If the temperature Of the cellar : not warm
lIf Nlllf- Nlllllu " bllIl'h w ri W. W NV -
Il non-COnduCtor Of heat When wine j. re-
ceived in casks care should be taken to raise the
casks about twelve inches from the ground.
NO wine" SAYS Mr.. Fcucrheerd. should be
received in casks into "A gcntleman's cellar
which II not III, or rather which r. not matlred
for bottling and there Is a practical rule for
judging ihe fitness OF red Wine by III" eye,
namely there must be no purpl" tlnGr letl in the
bead or froih. No white wine can he III for bot
rllng that has not fallen bright without lining"
Mr., Feuerhoard contends that II ISa fallaCN to
go. .l,t Ill a.. and IHT rtt nd lA. a.. lAI N
after bo,tling without any AIR. II" maintains
that "A little AR i useful for the expansion of the
wines and that there should b" half M inch be-
tween the vii" and The corr. The ideal
temperature for storing wine j. 20 degrees
Fahrenheit.
In discussing the conditions required for
bottlins III" author say : lhat port Of the iaWnN
or ruby DESCRIPTION which Is intended for
early use should br perfectly brilliant, hut that
tins il not important IN port intended to enjoy a
long rest in the bins, The proper time Tor bot
yer, diNicult ono. for which II i-nOt possible to
lay down any rule. The only suggestion posi-
bic i, that a Claret which j. III Tor IN" bottl"
should taste 50 ripe that You can enjoy a glass
from the cask nj your midday meal and while
drinking II the wine should not appear IN III"
after taste Cr FAREWELL at all grating or harsh.
In this respect ! say drinking adviSedlN, Tor II
is not possible TO Judge of the fitness of claret
by just tasting il from the casks, The rul" laid
down Tor port ~ To IL purple n"ad does not
apply 10 Clarpt Ia n similar extent, as tho Caret
llhN '''''''I - $3.50 - ' f'f $3.50
stall he ready for the bottle
White wines should be in perfect condition
when bottled and the richer kinds of sherry are
also very sensitive. If one can not wait for
such IA wine to tall bright II should bc fined with
Spanish earth. One learns from Mr. fen"r-
hcerd'~ little book that there are infections
diseases among wines, one Of them l. scld,
which mauifrsts itself in white vince IN the
shape OF small particles which, wh"l! In" glass
l. moved. sCud about IN the VINE III" clouds.
This disease can rarely I've cured. and It Is best
la lypi rid nf slrh wines without DELAY
Mr.. feuerheerd approaches the qu">ilonput
deCantlng wines respectfully, A. ", deserves Va
be- approachcd. Good vines should toe served
To the best advantage and this means that they
must be decunted carefully. Every bottle of
on the table should b" candle bright, which
means that your glass of wine, held up against
brilliant. Wine in this condition not only
pleascs the eye, but tastes better. II Is more
wholesome than il PARTICLES OF its natural de
posts find their way into the deCanter and cloud
the wine. The bottle Of wine intended for the
table should be taken from the bin by the neck
with n steady hand and placed hor2ont9ly
between two bits of Hath nailed To the cellar
table. The cork should be extracted without
the slightest movement of the bottle. In pour
ing the wine into the decantrr the bottle should
be held before n candle so that the cloud or de-
post may not be Toured out. Not n particle
of this deposit should be allowed Ia ilOw into
the decanter. Mr., Feuerhecrd says that II Is
r~xtravagant not TO save the bottom of bottles
decanted for use IN the kitchen Tor naVorlng.
lie believes that good win" i worth. serving
in good glass If il * served N all Ia cases
whcr" the COrks are deCayed 80 that they may
not be extracted clearly the cork~crrw may
be put in and then by hitting the rim Of thc, bot
II" a sharp blow with the back OF n table khil"
the rim will break from the neck ana IN" cork
may easily be twisted out Another and Tar
better>pian for clearing a bottl" OF rotten cork
l., to apply a hot pair of circular IRON t~Wce1erS
Just below the cork for half a minute and then
pass over the neck wet cloth. The glass cracks
Immediately and the top part OF IN" neck con
inning the CORK muy Di taken OH MlllDll ilt'
least chance Of any s%plinters Of glass falling
into the bottle.
Port wine should be served M the tempera-
ture Of the cellar or AZ most II may be Placed
in the dining room lust before the nenl. inns
wine improves by being deCanted from hall
an hour to two hours before serving,
tn some houses, says the author, partIcl-
larry in French restaurants. old clarcts are put
on the table lying in a decantins basket. II Is
bad practice, as the last two or three glasses
invariably run ont muddy. In my opinion
clarets should not he warmed for serving II
destroys the delicate freshness OF the VINE.
II your claret il young place 1t in the. dining
room two or three hours before serving II oldlsh
place II there in the morning
The tast" of an old wine depends very. mnch
Mr.. Feuprheerd. particularly very old wines.
require months Of rest before they get over
sOurness of even only a Few hours duration.
] remember receiving u present OF q dozen OF
early bottled 1871 Chateau LATTE rom scot
land In 1874 or 1873 decant"d the first bottle
after five or six weeks rest and tasted Varld
and sickly, the other eleven bottles, rested
from eight to twelve weeks longer and all tasted
excellent in every particular.
No wine Is prOpOrtiOnately more improved
by careful decanting than cheap clar"iS b"cnllN"
they are young and OF a common KIND the
precipitation In the bottom OF n bottle OF Ch"Ap
claret * poured ont in the dccnnting II lmpartS
a nasty tart flavor.
Mr.. Feuorheerd gives the fOllOwinC list Of
yintagp- rs authoritative
.un.,t. .t tA-n t1U., .tnnt MOS pnlk NOW