New-York tribune., 1908-03-22
PARIS NOTES.
Effects of Nesr Lac Regarding
.4duIteration of Vine.
Paris. March 10.

Parts March 10
last wear lust about this time. the South Of
rance rose in arms on account OF the bankrupt
ambition Of its wine industry. which was said TO
70 due. in the main. to wholesale adulteration
u is unnecessary TO pitulate the sensational
scenes that followed. which are sufficiently re-
cent 10 be still remembered. The Southern popu-
lation which is notably excitabie and derives It's
livelihood mainly from the cultivation Of the
s-spe refused 10 pay taxes broke out into open
revolt. burned the official residence of depart
mental governor and persuaded two regiments
- soldiers 10 rnutiny and 10 make common cause
xrf-h the rebels N. Clemenceau succeeded by
ro-n hination of frrnness and tact in Quieting
matters but what principally saved the situation
was the promise which he then made IN the
name Of the government that a stringent law
should be passed for the suppression Of the sale
q adultersted wines and spirits.
Il was maintained by more than one expert
authority that 'adulteraticn was not really the
cause Of the industrial depression in the South.
TIE wine srown IN the South of France. which
lacks the superior qualities Of the best Gironde
snd Burgundy products is itself largely used for
--coupase' purposes in other words for mixing
with more delicate wines and giving them a
sts bier body and enhanced bouquet This in
Itself is z process OF sdulteration. though one
which is 10 the advantage Of the consumer and
more ~ Jess openly carried out The Southern
ers- however. declared their determination to be
satisfied with all or nothing. that the law
against sduiteration Of wines and spirits which
came into force a couple Of days ago. is drastic
- srs -,-ovis5ons and so comprehensive that the
very Industry which il was intended 70 relieve
may easily be damaged by IL
Az less. this is the view held by certain
thorirfes Adulteration Of wines and spirits has
been forbidden in France for many years past
.-yrr- a---g,
esses and dramshors there is invariably TO he
discovered. hung up in an inconspcuous place
behind the door. e notice 10 the effect that all
Tioaors and wines served are de fantaisie- This
vas sufficient to prevent police court prosecu-
-ior in case any Of the liquor sold did not pos
soss the original strength of alcohol, but il did
-e- mean that II particular brand were called
for L would be honestly supplied Cheap
ljcuor was admittedly diluted with water, though
= &c not bear q definite declaration 10 this eI-
<ect upor the bottle The situation vas pre-
sIrnad 70 be covered by the hypocritical state
rrer1 hung up behind the door.
The u-inee-oWers decided last year that this
should not in future be considered 70 be suf-
rcfeu- protection either for themselves or the
rrhlic Every bottle from which alcoholic liquor
q any description is sold the publ must now
contain : clear acknowledgment on its label
q lis real origin For instance, the bottle
f-r the word -kirsch'' must henceforth, il the
event O. IT'S not being absolutely pure k;rsch,
content itself with the appellation OF ''kirsch
esr-sfsie- The rule applies 20 the entire retail
--afA md necessarily concerns the wholesale
trade as Eell II also covers all alinentaTy prod
ucts though liquor is likely 70 be chiefly af-
.ectA6. and cheap champagne perhaps more than
anything else.
VINO indeed. can he expected 70 order g bottle
q champagne which simply hears the designation
on the label OF Yin MousseuX,'' "effervescng
z1re~a Yet this is 70 be the fate OF the millions
~ bottles Of so-caIled champa agne sold in France
under fantastic names Of firms protesting TO han
from RHEIMS the contents Of which have never
5eeU within many miles Of the champagne dis
1-icr rrorzr What should be the legal limita-
1ian q that district is, by the way. 3 disputed
point and now that the new law on adutera-
cicr has come into vigor parliamentary COM
mission viii have settle once and for all the
seoe-a1 1hicaI boundaries of Champagne The
collapse o. more than hourishing cham
7azne house whose products, composed exc]u-
sfvely q cheap white wines from Saur1ur and
the Southern and Western vineyards of France.
were sold he world over as champagne may
1ow De confidently expected
Tbs viii be n the great material and moral
advantage q the genuine champagne trade IN
Franc which mas shown considerable decline
curing -he last Two three years, owing 70 dis
honest competition.
With respect 70 clarets. however the situation
created 1v the new law is distinctly more COM
pica1eG. Claret Il never pure in the sense Of
being constituted by wine OF only one growth.
j l. composed % -'cabernet,' which gives II
dehcacv ana bouquet; OF ''nalbec''; which sup
plies body, and Of ''verdeau,'' from which the
color Is derived. The customer, however, de-
msnds that the wine which he buys from year
70 year shall have the same aspect, body and
favor. Consequently the proportions Of the
three constituent elements enumerated above
have = - supplemented by the addition OF a
Eine which Is not q claret when owing 10 the
condirIcns Of the crop. one other OF these eie-
naeats * obrainable only il insufficient qUant-
ass- sc longer viii II he permissible in France
= SCI these wines as Bordeaux {. / 3.