The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-10
RISE AND FALL OF CLARET.
in Enelnnd-Greed and Adultera-
ton the Primary Causes.

ton the Primary Causes.
From the London Globe.
From an interesting consular report
we learn that our old, gentle, modest,
and favorite beverage, claret, has fall
en- upon evil days in England. The
author of the document, an unques-
tionable authority on the subject, ad-
vances many valid reasons for the de-
cline of the high-class growths from
the Gironde and Guienne, and in near
ly every case greed and unfair prac-
tees on the part of the growers, ship
pers or factors are the primary causes
of the fast increasing disgrace. There
Is, however, one cause, a social and
almost a primary one, which could not
but fail to. escape the observation of
even so keen an observer as Mr.. Hearn,
because it's operation as factor could
only be grasped by habitual diner
out among friends of the better classes,
or a constant visitor at the most re-
nowned and even somewhat less ia
nous restaurants of the metropolis.
Frankly the best Bordeaux, and, to a
certain extent, Burgundies, have been
ouSted from a great many, If not from
all, of the fashionable private and
public dinner tables by the constant
presence of the fair sex at all classes
of entertainments, banquets and sup
per parties, and by their partaking
much more freely than they did in by
gone days of the wine that maketh
glad the heart of men. 1t is not libel
ing women to say that few of them
appreciate the intrinsic value of wine;
hence they prefer saucy, joyous, gold
tipped, snowy labeled sparkling cham
payne to the modest and somewhat
subdued claret in its somber sable bot
tie. They differ in this from Alfred de
Musset, who asked, lou 'importe lie
flacon, pourvu gu 'on ait pivresse? ?"
The f1agon matters much to them.
This is all the more to be regretted,
inasmuch as for many centuries Eng
land was Frances chief customer for
high-class Bordeaux wines, although
even at a comparatively early period
of the traffic adulteration and short
measure seem to have crept in. re-
member having read something about
all these as having occurred in the reign
of Henry VI, three centuries after the
introduction of Gascony wines, which
were no other than Bordeaux under
another name, and which introduction
was probably due to the marriage of
Henry II with Eleanor of Acquitaine,
in whose fair lands, which she brought
as a dowry, some of the grape Juice,
which became subsequently priceless,
was grown.
In France herself this precious nectar
was not known beyond the confines of
the locality of its origin, and remained
unknown till far into the latter half
of the seventeenth century, when a
curious competition brought it to the
notice of Fagon, the chief physician of
Louis XIV. and himself a stanch and
the only professed abstainer in France,
just as Waller. the poet, was the only
professed abstainer in England.
1t was about the middle of the reign
OF the Roi-Soleil, who was a most for
midable trencherman, and who at that
moment was suffering from such a Sc
we're attack of indigestion as to have
compelled his doctor to prescribe his
faVorite beverage, hypocras. After
several days of acute suffering there
was a slight improvement, and Louis
XIV, whose conversion in all things
was as a rule short lived, and who.
in this instance, was not converted,
still wished to resume his spiced wine
regime, when Fagon put down his foot.
No spiced wines. Whatever their
basis. 1 consider them bad. If the
spices are simply sweet, they lie on
the stomach; if they are strong besides
they produce irritation. No, I shall not
COllueIHn your uldJeSty W ullAh OdliCy
water, or anything so tasteless; you
shall have wine. but natural wine. I"
"Suresnes, like my grandfather"
laughed the grand monarque. Not
suresnes; though your majesty might,
perhaps, do worse than that Your
majesty shall have some burgundy
from the cellars of the Convent of
Saint-Vivent at Beaune, which has just
OPPORTUNITY been brought to Paris by
one of the monks and which is the
best wine of France" 1.-THE best wine
in France" exclaimed the King. "Odd-
ly enough, / have just had a commune
cation on the subject from Vendome.
who ought to know, and who says that
the best wine of France is to be found
in Guyenne."
Fagon knew at once what had hap
pened, and was ready with his answer
"Sire," he remarked quickly. II have
not come to the conclusion without due
reflection, and l prescribe Burgundy in
preference to the wine of Guyenne. The
gentleman who addressed you his petit
ton under the auspices of Monsignor
the Due de Venciome has also commu-
nicated with me on the subject. 1 have
analyzed the wine he sent to me with
the same care l analysed the wine of
the Superior of Saint-Vivent. The re-
suit of my analysis has shown me that
the wine gathered in Guyenne contains
very little alcohol, and is consequently
more subtle, and possesses cordial vir-
tues more suitable to delicate consd-
buttons and nervous temperaments: but
the wine from Burgundy is more fitted
to a robust temperament like yours
Sire. It is more tonic, more astringent,