Year: 1874

Journal of Applied Science,I


The Champagne, from which the wine
takes its name, was an ancient province
in France, but of this only the prefec-
lures of Epernay and Rheims produce
good wine. The grape generally grown
for producing champagne is the black
Burgundy, ir being a singular fact that
this wine, which is perhaps the whitest
of all wines, is made from the black
grape. Only about one fourth Of the
grapes grown in the Champagne district
are converted into effervescing wine.
The rest are made mostly into red wine
by process similar to that employed in
Burgundy. The grapes are picked early
in the morning, and are carried to the
roadside in baskets, where they are care
fully sorted, all unripe and unsound
berries being cut out by scissors. They
are then packed in panniers, which are
placed on donkeys to be carried home.
Here they are emptied directly into
presses closely resembling the cider
press used in this country. The wine
running from the press when the power
is first applied is considered the best.
After it has stopped flowing the follower
is raised, the edges of the cake are cut
off and thrown into the middle, and pres
sure again applied. This is repeated
several times; but the whole process
must be completed before the grapes
commence to ferment, because the slight.
est fermentation during the pressing will
extract the color from the husks. The
must runs into large watts, where it stands
from six to twenty hours, during which
time it throws up froth, and deposits
other impurities in the bottom of the
casks. The must is carefully drawn off
from these into barrels, in which it
undergoes the first fermentation. 1t
remains in these barrels until about
the first of December; it is then
clear, and is then drawn off from the lees.
The first step in the manufacture is to
mix the products Of various vineyards so
as to produce wine which shall resem-
BILE some particular brand, such as a
Sillery, Epernay, or any other that may
be popular at the time. The wine is then
fined by isinglass; ittakes from an eighth
of an ounce to quarter to each barrel.
This occupies about q month. II at the
end of this time it is not clear, it is
drawn off from the lees aud filled again.
The wine during this process of 6ning is
also treated with sulphur vapor in order
to make it as pale as possible. 1t is then
drawn off, bottled and corked. As soon
as the bottles have been corked, they are
carried into the cellars and put into i'm
mense piles, some houses filling every
year several hundred thousand bottles.
As the temperature in the cellar in
creases with the approach of summer,
the wine begins to ferment. This is tie
critical time with the manufacture.
Many bottles burst from the pressure Of
the disengaged gases, but if the break
age does not exceed eight per cent by
the end of August no particular mea-
sures are taken; il, however, it exceeds
that amount, the bottles must be un-
corked and recorked. This is danger
Gus condition, since oftentimes they ex'
plode in the hands OF the workmen. The
constant breaking of bottles sound like
a succession OF pistol shots, but this en-
tirely ceases by the end of the summer.
When the fermentation is finished, the
stacks of bottles are overhauled, all the
broken bottles are removed, and those
in good order are restacked. These ATE
then allowed to remain at rest until the
yeast has settled at the lower side of the
bottles, and in this state the wine re-
mains until it is ready for sale. 1t
has yet to be cleared. For this pHr-
pose the bottles are placed neck
downwards on long benches pierced
with holes in which the necks
fit. The deposit gradually settles upon
the cork. This is then removed by
skillfully Withdrawing the cork and al
lowing the froth, which escapes, to carry
the yeast with it. The wine is now
ready for finishing. AS above prepared,
il is dry and somewhat deficient in
flavor; to impart sweetness and flavor,
a certain quantity Of liquor must be
added. This is prepared from sugar and
some very fine favored old wine for the
better qualities of champagne, but from
brandy, wine and sugar for the more
commoz kinds; but every manufacturer
has his particular recipes, and the liquor
also varies with the country to which the
wine is to be sent. Thus, England re-
on;ras vv;na ufronO in alcOhOl and not