The Washington times., 1936-10-03

surroundings,
like to think, "
that the learned Edwin G. Hill
monk, Perignon, celarer OF the
Abbey of Hautvillier, near Rheims,
first tried out the virtues OF the
sparkling wine he had discovered
by accident. It was then, I truly
believe, he exclaimed:
81 am drinking stars"
Perignon, the monk Of that an
cient day, was a true poet OF
gracious living. Life would he
sweeter, perhaps much kinder, II
there we're today a ritual OF gra'
cious living.
Pierre Ronsard, the old Renais-
sance poet, who was as great con-
noisseur of wine as of rich rhymes,
had a chapel built before the
entrance to his wine cellar. His
guests passed through the chapel
before descending into the cellar
where the cob-webbed bottles lay
Above the door was a quotation
from Epicurus, exhorting all who
entered to observe moderation to
intensity their enjoyment.
They were wise. those gentle
men of the Middle Ages, and I
am reminded that this is the
spirit in which we should drink,
if drink at all, by my old friend.
G. SeImer Fougner-k nown
throughout the newspaper and
diplomatic worlds as Baron Foug'
ner-whose anthology CT wine and
spirits along the Wine Trail"
(Stratford, $3.50 have just fin
ished reading.
MODERATION
The Baron holds the honest
conviction that alcohol is not evil
in itself, but something which, if
taken with moderation, may add
to the gentle enjoyment of life.
Long years of personal expert
ence in countries where drinking
is practieed intelligently has con
vinced him of that--and M. lie
Baron is known in all the capitals
of Europe, al4d has tucked his
feet under the table with princes
and prime ministers.
Born in America, he has spent
the greater part of his life abroad.
He made the acquaintance Of
wines as boy in France and as a
student at the famous university,
the Sorbonne. Three of his sisters
married winegrowers. The vine
| yards of France became in conSe-
| Quence. his plaVgrOund
He is, I think, the most expert
OF American connoisseurS. But it
did not occur to him in those days
that there was any need for a book
to tell people the what, where
and how much" Of drink.
He had imbibed the knowledge
as the preprohibition generations
imbibed it-from the precept and
counsel of older friends.
He was busy in his chosen pro-
feSsion. He became editor of the
Courier DIES Etats Unis and later
acted as foreign correspondent for
the New York Sun with offices in
Paris, Berlin, Vienna and London.
Finally, he returned to the land
of his birth as manager Of the
press bureau of the Liberty Loan
drives in New York.
Then came that blow to personal
liberty known as prohibition, and
he was introduced to the era of
hip TASKS, bath-tub gin and hang
overs. He came out of the expert
ence with one determination: To
make the world a safer place for
connoisseurs to dwell in.
He had made his mission ma
tional and even international, by
a book, not merely wisdom for the
day only, but wisdom, let us say,
for a grateful poSterity.
We don't always realize that an
entire generation has grown to
mans estate in ignorance of the
royal art Of winning and dining.
And to the generations of those
who never knew, we must add a
generation growing up in the last
days of legal liquor and who con.
tinued their education in evil
times.
THE CORRECT WAY
To all of these, Baron Fougner's
new book may come as q revela-
ton, as a reminder that wine,
spirits and even the much-abused
cocktail may be approached in the
spirit of Dom Perignon and Pierre
RonSard.
1t is the sort of book that a
father might we'll hand to a son
the first time he finds him the
worse for liquor: and before that,
if he would fend off an ugly ex.
perience.
AS I read the chef d'oeuvre Of
my old friend, the Baron, I see
his mission as presenting a cup
which really cheers-not swilled
down-and preaching real tenn
perance and correct way of eat
ing and drinking.
If you want to establish your
own cellar" the Baron tells you
how He presents the story of all
alcoholic beverages banned by
prohibition. There is a chapter
on the rules governing the use Of
wine.
There are 80 pages Of cocktails
and what appears to be an au-
; thoritative ranking in history Of
Mistress Peggy van Eyck, of the
Cocks Tail Tavern in Yonkers.
For, if M. lie Baron has the right
to it, it was in that tavern that