Bisbee daily review., 1915-09-08
FRENCH CHAMPAGNE
 MAY BE PINK OR RED
 DURING COMING YEAR
Growers May Have to Use Bur- gundy or Bordeaux Casks, of Red Wine, Which Will DiSCOlOr the "Fizz" for Consumers.

PARIS. Sept. Pink champagne. or even red, is a threatened possibili- ty as a result of the war unless the winegrowers of the champagne dis trict are helped out by white wine growers of other regions. The glass works of Northern France and of Bel gium that have furnished champagne bottles are in the hands of the Ger mans, and further, the wine growers of the champagne district are short of casks-more than half of last years vintage being still in the wood. The use of casks from the Burgundy and Bordeaux red-wine regions has been proposed, and if this suggestion is taken up there are chances that the cru of 1915 will be pink. It would be impracticable to thoroughly cleanse the red-wine casks of their color, and it is said that the reddish color would in no wise harm the champagne.
 The Mountains of Rheims" where the champagne is produced have, like the Heights of the Meuse", disappear ed from the official communique. The steady pressure from the French side of the fighting line disengaged finally the last of the important champagne vineyards, though those of st. Thierry and Hermonville to the north of the river Vesle are right next to the trenches, and those on the northern slope of the ridge called Mountains of Rheims" are still within range of the enemy's artillery. Notwithstand- ing all of the difficulties the 25,000 acres of the champagne district will produce one-third more wine than last year, bringing the total to the normal average before the war.
 Inexperienced women and children guided by old wine-growers did the pruning between January 15 and the end of March Women also fought mildew and, altogether, succeeded so well that the war difficulties will have had far less influence on the crop than the vine diseases that prevailed four years ago and prevented the formation of the fruit, or than the in mutations of 1910.
 For the gathering of the crop more trouble is anticipated than last year. After the battle of the Marne there were a great many refugees inc the champagne country, who helped with the vintage. These have been evacu- ated since. Moreover the authorities hesitate to allow women and children to expose themselves any longer on the northern slope of the Mountains of Rheims where they are liable any day to be caught by a stray shell. Leave will doubtless be given to a sufficient number of wine-growers un- der arms to do this work, as well as the operation of the 500 wine presses in the department of the Marne, re- quiring each five men during a period of fifteen days
 The commercial importance of the champagne country to France appears from the latest figures available, those of 1912 Of the total produc- tion of fine wines valued at $3l,0OO,- OOO, the champagne district produced $15,0OO,OOO the rest coming from the Burgundy and Bordeaux regions prin- | cipauy. One of the best customers for the fine wines of France was Ger many who bought S6,6OOOOO worth a year; surpassed only by Great Britain, who took $7,75O,OOO worth, with Bel gium coming next with S6,750,0OO France has, accordingly, for the time being lost an outlet for wines to the amount of $13,35O,OOO annually. The United States, with purchases of $2,' 100000 a year, was the poorest GUS
 toner next to Russia, who bought less than a million dollars worth of l French wine annually.