1879 Facts About Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines

The London Mediical Record, 15tli Ja1iuMy, 1877, writes upon THE "SPECIALITE" CHAMPAGNE, "The Specialite Champagne recently introduced by the well-known firm of Feltoe and Sons of Albemarle Street is u most agreeable and wholesome cham– pagne, possessing the natural refreshing vinous flavour and bouquet peculiar to high-class wines. It is of medium dryness, avoiding the extremes which suit only a minority of wine-drinkers, but is sufficiently dry to suit the palate of the instructed connoisseurs. It is extremely well suited for use by invalids, for whom the valuable qualities of a high class of champagne are so often found useful. It will be found to compare somewhat more than advan– tageously with the choice brands which have secured an old r eputation and command the highest prices! The value of a brand is more strongly felt in respect to champagne than perhaps in regard to any other wine, owing to the peculiarities of the manufacture of champagne, which leaves open a large field to the skill of the maker. This excellent wine will, we believe, maintain and enhance the reputation of the 'Specittlite' brand." 50s. per Dozen. Q'he "CASH SYSTEM." Carriage Paid. The Medical E:camiiner, Ma;rclt 8, 1877, writes upon the "SPECIALITE" SAUMUR CHAMPAGNE, "Messrs. Feltoe and Sons' Saumur Champagne is precisely the wine that is wanted. It is light, not too sweet, yet not so absw·dly Clry as some of the brands in the market; exhilarating without containing much alcohol, and free from any unpleasant aftertaste. It is exactly the wine for invalids who rec1uire a rapidly diffusible stimulant, whilst for general consumption its sound character and pleasant properties will render it, we believe, a great favourite both with the medical profession and the public." ' This Innocent, Refreshing, and Delicious Wine is far Superior and totally Different to all other Saurnur Champagne. THE PRICE IS THE SAME AS THE .... ,.,. "SPECIALITE'' SHERRY, the reputation of which wine makes criticism or praise quite unnecessary. "FREE FROM ACIDITY .A.ND HE.A.T."-Britislt Medical Journal. "VA-LU.ABLE to the Meal of a P.A.TIENT suffering from DYSPEPSIA." -Mediical T imies. " It bas .A.TT.A.I.NED and DESERVES a great MEDICAL REPUT.A.- TION."-London Medical Record. ' 30s. per Dozen. The" CASH SYSTEM." Carriage Paid. FELTOE AND SONS, Sole Importers, ALBEMARLE ST., W.; 126, BISHOPSGATE ST., E.C. MaNClI.ESTER :-110, King Street. BRIGHTON :-67, King's Road. Established 63 Y ears. Messrs. Feltoe and Sons were appointed Purveyors of the Specialit6 Sherry to ~he British Refreshment Department of the Paris Exhibition, 1878.

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOC IETY'S EXHIBITIONS, MANCHESTER, 1869; OXFORD, 1870; WOLVERHA.MPTON, 1871; CARDIFF, 1872; HULL, 1873; BEDFORD, 1 74; 'l'.d.UNTON, 1875; BIRMINGHAM, 1876; LIVERPOOL, 1877; BRISTOL, 1878; LO DON, 1 79.

SPANISH

LONDON. 42, GLASSHOUSE S'rREE'l', } REGENT STREET W . 27, BREWER STREET, ' · ' 13 OXFORD STREET, W.; b & ti, BUCKLEli SBURY, CB EAPSIDE, E.C. ; THE ARCHES, LUDGATE HILL, E.C. M ANC HEST ER. ~!~1.mTFotn, } CROSS STREET; BARTON ARCADE, DEANSGATE. BIRM INGHAM. YORK PASSAGE, HIGH STREET. ' BRl-GHTON.

10, SIDP STREET. PORT SM OUTH. 5, PEMBROKE ROAD. GLASGOW . 11, EXCHANGE PLACE SOUT:/I. PAR IS. 1, RUE CASTIGLIONE, AND 23'.li, RUE DE RIVOLI. W INES DR AWN FRO]([ c.I'HE ORIGINA L CASK S, AND SOLD BY THE DOCK SAMPLE GL.A.SS, BOTTLE, DOZEN, OCT.A.VE, .A.ND QUARTER C.A.SK. See "TIMES'' Special Report and, Lcadting Article,with othe·r Notices ofthe Press.

PONGE and SAND F ILTERS are WORSE than useless– ANIMAL CHARCOAL FILTERS develope myriads of minute worms.– Vide Reporl of tlie R ivers' Pol"ftution C011111ni_ssion. BE PARTICULAR TO ORDER THE SILIVATED CARBON FILTERS~ WHICH ARE RECOMMENDED BY THE IlIGHEST MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC AUTHORITIES OF THE DAY. ' Silicated Carbon Filters ARE EASILY CLEANSED. Silicated .Carbon Filters ENTIRELY REMOVE FROM WATER ALL ORGANIC MA'rTER AND EVERY TRACE OF LEAD. Silicated Carbon Filters RENDER WATER ABSor~uTELY PURE. . r For the Dining Room, · l Silicated For the H all or Conseryatory, For the Kitchen and Scullery, Carbon 1 For the Bedroom, Filters. For Ships' Cabins, Yachts, and l Steam Launches. J Silicated Carbon Filters. MAIN·SUPPLY FILTERS For Wine Merchants, Brewers, Distillers, Soda·Water Manufacturers, Hos. pital.s, Public Institutions, Schools, Mansions, and wherever large quantitie(of pure water are required. SILICATED CARBON FILTER COMP flNY, Church Ro.ad, Battersea, London, S. W. Illustrated Price Lists in all Languages. Agents everywhere. . For Travellers and Emigrants,

•

AGENT FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM-: iunwIG .EHRMANN, 34, Great Tower Street, London.

' - CH-AMPAGNE

AGENTS FOR AMERICA: - HOLTZ & KOENNECKE, 307, Broadway, New Yo1~k.- .. ! W.W. MONTAGUE & Go., 112 & 114, Battery Street, ' San Francisco. See p articulars on page 128 of the present Volume.

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A GENT FOR THE u NITED K INGDOM,

J. ·R. HUNTER,

46, Fenchurch Street, London..

DEUTZ & GELDERMANN'S

CHA...MP.AGNE MAY BE HAD OF ALL WINE MERCHANTS, A.ND WHOLESALE OF J. R. PARKINGTON & co.~ 24, CRUTCHED FRIARS, LONDON, E.C., AGENTS FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM. SPA.RKLING SAUT·ERNE~ · .

PR I ZE MED AL,

PRI Z E ' M £ DAL,

PARIS; 1878.

ANGOULEME, 1877.

NORMANDIN, MAIGNEN, & CO.,

CHATEAUNEUF~

AND 22 & 23, GREAT TOWER STREET, LONDON.

lY.IOGFORD, COURTJµNAY, & CO., 16, MARK LANE, LONDON, SOLE CONSIGNEES FOR GREAT BRITAIN AND THE COLONIES (WHOLES.A.LE ONLY).

Jr\AISON FONDEE EN 1814.

DuMiNY & c~

AY,(CHAMPAGNEJ.

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EXTRA QUALITY

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[:_ __ 1 · '=========== === · ,__j ANTHONY OECHS, 73, NEW STREET; NEW YORK, SOLE CONSIGNEE FOR THE UNITED STATES.

AGENTS FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM. H 0 R .N B L 0 w E. R ( .& , . b Q ~·, 50, Mark Lane, London. · C H .A. .:Ill: P .A. G N E CHARLES FARRE- R E 1 Ms AND HAUTVILLERS. 1 •

Grand Vin.

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~ Carte Blanche ~ Carte Noire

~genctes. UNITED STATES : GILMORE & GIBSON, Baltimore. MEL & SONS, San Francisco: MELBOURNE : . HOGG, ROfil-NOON, & co.

See partic.ul~rs on pages 15 and 89 of the present Volume.

AGENTS FOR THE UN ITED KI NGDOM , \ CUDDEFORD & S MI TH ~ 6 6, Mark Lan e, London.

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FOR AMERICA,

AGENT

F. 0 . DE LUZE, 18, SouthWilliam Street, New York.

N.B.-The names of the United States Agents given at p age 227 of the present Volume are incoi;rect.

.. CHAMPAGNE: HIGH CLASS 1874's.

PERINET ET FILS~

I "' I CUVEE ·RESERVEE EXTRA SEC.

See Particulars on page 82 of this Volume.

PRIZE MEDAL PARIS_, l.878.

Quotations and samples from a duty-paid stock of over a thousand dozens obtainable from

MESSRS. PAGE & SANDEMAN,

5! , PALL MALL,

LONDON, S.W.

DUPANLOUP & CO.'S ~ PRIZE MEDAL CHAMPAGNE MAY BE HAD OF ALL WINE MERCHANTS IN TOWN OR COUNTRY. PURE, MILD, AND MELLOW, I DELICIOUS AND MOST WHOLESOME. The Cream of Old Irish Wh:iBkies. . Dr. HASSALL says: :'Soft and mellow, pure, well-matured, and of very excellent quality." WHISKY, The Gold Medal, Dublin Exhibition, 1865. CARLISLE BUILDING, DUBLIN, AND 20, GT.\TITCHFIELD STREET, OXFORD ST., LOND9N. LL Gold Medal, Paris Exhibition, 1878. KINAHAN'S

BRANDY~ A VERY general impression prevails among the people of this country that Brandy is distilled by the merchants abroad who ship it to this country, and whose names have in the popular mind become synony– mous with the word.s "Cognac Brandy." A very short explanation will show how totally without foundation this impressitm is. Brandy is really made by the numerous large and smnll pro– prietors ofVineyards around Cognac, in the Charente Iuferieure, who in the first instance make their grapes into wine, and, as soon as the fermentation has ceased, set to work and distil the wine, the spirit from which is the fine Brandy of Commerce. Immediately after the distillation is completed, the Brandy is purchased in large quantities by the Cogmc merchants, who ship it to the various markets for which they have orders. The farmers take their Brandy to market just as farmers here do their corn, and, as a rule, vie with each other in their endeavours to get a name for quality; and each acts on his judgment in selling, some selling at once, some preferring to hold over and sell it when old, and some doing both. A great quantity of each year's produce is purchased in this country and brought over at once, and kept in bond till such time as it is wanted for use. It is a mistake the public make to suppose that because Brandy is bottled in France, and bears this 1111me or that, it is therefore better or older than what respectable merchants sell in England. That which comes in bottle is precisely tlte s@me q1tality of Brandy as that which comes in cask, aup, as a rule, it is sent younger. and costs more-owing to expenses in putting up, extra freight, and the astuteness of shippers abroad in taking advantage of pr(\judice to charge additional for that they put i.n cases-than what regular merchants in England put up themselves, as they keep it in bond, in cask, till fully matured. We advise the public to place no confidehce what ever on the MERE PUTTING UP OF THE .A.RTICLE IN llOTTLE" in Ji'rance, but to BOY VALUE and NOT NAME. We can give the very FINEST OLD COGNAC BRANDY, at 54s. per Doz., and conf\dently·ask comparison with CASE llRANDY of any shipper at 60s. to 80s. per dozen. Cases and Bottles included.

On receipt of Post-Office 01·de1·for above amownt, a Case will bef orw@rded, Cm•riage paid, to any p{l;J't of tlw Kingdom.

JAMES SMITH & COMPANY,

&mµorte1s of

LIVERPOOL, 9, LoRn STREET. MANCHESTER, 26, MA:&:K:ET STREET. BIRMINGHAM, 28, HIGH STREET.

THE DUBLIN WHISKY TRADE.

THOMAS STREET D ISTILLERY,

DUBL IN, Jcvnucvry, 1876.

Silr,

I n IXJ'lftsequeince of represemt.af!ions which have freque:nfly been add!ressed to us from ab1·oad, we have decicled upon suppMJVng the Eaiport Trade with owr Old Whisky IN CASES OF ONE DOZEN EACH (containing two gallons), bottled expressM.J unde;r owr own ~upm·vision, in bond, at the prices stated below. We are, S ir, Y owr obedient Sm'Vants, , GEO. R OE & . CO . PRICES IN BOND. BRAND ~ ** * tiRANDl lt 20/- per Case, containing 12 bottles. c~~K LAD EL * "''D CASE GR 16/- per Case, containing 12 bottles. .Alnl F . 0 . B. at Dublin. CGAPSRULE In London or Liverpool, 1/- per Case more. The above quotations are for quantities of not less than 50 cases. M ESSRS. RoE beg to inform shipping firms that their old and very old Whiskies, in Butts, H ogsheads, and Qu a1·ter Ca sks, can be ol.itained from th.e Wholesale Wine and Spirit Mer ch ants, as well as from Dublin direct. Quotations, etc. 1 can be had on application as above ; Or to MESSRS. E. J . FIGGIS & SON, Commercial Buildings, Dublin. ON

BINDLEY . & co.'S PRIZE ALES. PARIS EXHIBITION, 1878, GOLD MEDAL, P HI LADEL·P HI A, 1876,

GRAND MEDAL AND DIPLOMA,

AWARDED .TO

BINDLEY & 00.v Burton-on-Trent, " for flavour, ·"aroma, and keeping qualities of their /ND/A PALE, "MILD, and STRONG ALES, in wood and. bottle, "'brewed only from MALT and HOPS. 11 the general excellence, brightness,

AGENT FOR PARIS: ' ·G. HADFIELD, 92, RUE D'HAU'l'EVILLE.

'

PARIS E~HIBITION, 1878.

We have the pleasure to announce that the Jurors have awarded us THREE PRIZE MEDALS For our Exhibits in Classes '72, '73, and '74. CLASS 72. GOLD MEDAL for PRESERVED MEATS, SOUPS and FISH. CLASS 73. BRONZE MEDALforFRUITSPRESERVED IN WATER. CLASS 74. 90 LO MEDAL for MALT VINEGAR, This Triple Award is the ·highest given. to .any Exhibitor in the above Classes, in which all our Manu– factUTes are included. CROSS-E & BLACKWELL, $)urbtll,Ot$ to · tbe ~ueen, SOHO SQUARE, LONDON. PICKLES, SAUCES, CONDIMENTS, JAMS, JELLIES, and ORANGE MAR– MALADE.

1? R I C E

0 N E

S H IL L I N G.

I n Crown Si:o, Or11a111e11tai Co ver.

FACTS ABOUT

SHERRY,

GLEANED DURING A R.ECENT TOUR THROUGH THE VINEYARDS AND BODEGAS

01'

JEREZ, SAN LUCA.R, PUER'rO DE SA.NTA MARIA, CHIPIONA, CHICLANA, TREBUJENA, AND THE SEVILLE, MOGUER, AND MONTILLA DIS'l'RICTS.

BY HENRY VIZETELLY, Chevalier of the 0 1·dcr of Franz Josef , .Autho1· of "The Wines of the World Ohamcte-rized and O!a.ssed."

ILLUST RATED

'W!Tll SIXTEEN PAGE ENGRAVINGS, AND NUUEROUS SUDJECTS IN THE TE:XT, FROM l'UOTOGRAPIIS AND SKETCHES TAKEN EXJ.'RESSLY ~'OR TIIIS WORK.

CONTENTS. .CrrAP. I.-To J erez by vVay of Gibraltar-The Sherry Capital and its surrounding Vineyards-The Vintage at Rau Lucar de Barrameda. ·Cn.1.r . II.-The Wine Bodega of the South of Spain- Manzanilla Soleras antl Mode of Rearing the ·wine. C1ur. III.-The Vineyards North of Jerez-Visits .during Vintage time t o the Amoroso, Romano, la Paz, Ducha, Cerro de Santiago, High Maeharnudo, Almocaden, and A. B. Vineyards. .Cn.ar. IV.-Breakfast at the Cerro de Obregon-Kidnapping by Brigands in the Sherry district--Visits to the San Julian, Leon, Lhs Cmias, Tula, and other Vineyards-The Cn,rtnja Monastery and its Ancient Bodega.

2 CHAI'. V.-The Wines of Jerez-The different Varieties-Blending Sherry fo1~ Shipment-The Bodegas of Cosens and Co. at Jerez and Pu01·to de Santa. Maria. CHAP. VI.-The Cru·efol Rearing the finer J erez Wines Undergo and the Great Age they Attain-The Assumed Unwl10lesomeness of Sher ry-Highly– coloured Statements put forward-Sci entific investigation of the so-called Plastering of Wines in France-Gypsum admitted to be Innocuous. t::HA.P. VII.-The Bodegas in the olu Moorish quarter of J erez-The extensive· establil;hments of Gonzalez, Byass and Co.-Seiior Domecq·s Bodegas aucl famed Napolnon Wine-The Bodegas of Vergara, Robertson, and Co. visited by Ferdinand VII. CHAP. VIII.-The establishment of Seiior Mis:i., Conde de Ilayona, and · its Monumental Tower- Garvey and Co.'s Monster Bodega-The Prince of· Wales's Old Brown Sherry-The Ancient Jerez House of Haurie-Don Diego de Agredu's Mauresque House, Huudsorne Garden, and Choice Soleras-The Bodegas and Wines of Sefiores Julin,n n,nd J ose Pemartin– l'ifr. R. Davies' Bodega and his San Lurar and Madeira. Vineyards- T hc– Bodegas and Soleras of Seiior J. J. Vegas, 1\'lr. J. C. Gordon, Messrs. Wisdom and Warter, Mr. R. I vison, Messrs. Webber and Co., Mack enzie· and Co., Heyward and Wilson, Matthiesen and Furlong, Scfior Ysassi, and Messrs. Cramp and Suter-The J erez Almaccnistas n,nd the Establishment of Scfi.or Sanchez Romate. CIIAP. IX.-·The Yincyanls and Bodega

W.A.RD, LOCK, AND TYLER, WARWICK HOUSE, PATERNOSTER now.

·'

(Froul1i Pfctr./

THE DISGORGING, LIQUEURING, CORK ING, STRINGING 1 AND WIRI NG

~~ ~!iz;(~I/Pl a~i-u a~_,,

CHAivrPAG~E.;( ~vy~ j'-

FACTS ABOUT

AND

OTHER SPARKLING WINES,

COLLECTED DURL.'G NUMEROUS VISITS TO THE CH.A.llfPAGNE

AND OTHER, VITICULTURAL DISTRICTS OF FRANCE,

.il.J.'

WINE-PRODUCING COUNTRIES OF EUROPE. ACKERMAN LAURANGE

BY HENRY VIZETEL L Y, Chevalier of the Order of Franz Josef . Wino J11ror fo1· Great B1·itain at tho Yiomia and Pai·is E.thibibions of 1873 and 1878• .Author of "Tho Wines of tho lV01·/d Charactorizcd and C!asscd," &c.

WITH ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE I LLUSTRATIONS, DRAWN BY J ULES PELCOQ, W . PRATER, BERTALL, ETC., FROM ORIGINAL SKETCHES•

. L ONDON : WARD, LOCK, AND CO., SALISBURY SQUARE . 1879.

..

,

THIS little book scar cely needs a preface, as it speak s sufficiently for itself. It is for the most part t h e result of studies on the spot of everything of interest eonnect ed wit h t he various sparkling wines which it professes t o describe. Neither pains nor expense h ave been spared t o r ender it both accurat e and complete, ancl t he large number of authent ic engravings wit h which it is illustrated will conduce, it is h oped, to its value.

I

Uniform with the present work and the Author's " :Facts About Sherry,,. FACTS ABOUT PORT AND MADEIRA, lNCLUDlliG CHAPTERS ON THE Wn."'ES VINTAGED AROUND Lrsno_· AND THE WINES OF TENERIFFE.

lllustrnted with 80 Engravings from Original Sketches.

J

CONTENTS.

PAGE.

I .-THE ORIGIN OF CHAMPAGNE.

The Early Vineyards of the ChQ,mpagne- 'l'heir Produce esteemed by Popes ancl Kings, Courtiers and Prel1ttcs-Controversy regarding the rival Merits of the Wines of Burgundy ancl the Champagne-Dorn P erio-non's happy Discovery of Sparkling Wine-Its Patrons under Lou~ Quntorzc ancl the 1-tegency-Tbe Ancient Church and Abbey of Hautvillers-Fnrre and Co.'s Champngne Cel!a.rs-The Abbey of St. P eter now a Farm-Existing Rema.ins of the Monastic Builclings- 'l'he Tombs and Decorations of the Ancient Church-The Last Resting– Place of Dom Perignon-The Legend of the Holy Dove-Good Cham– pagne th~ Rest1lt of Labour, Skill, Minute Precaution, and C[J,I·eful Observat10n 9 OF THE RIVER. Ay, the Vineynrcl of Golden Plants-Summoning the Vintagers by Beat of Drum-Excitement in the Surrounding Villages-The Pickers at Work-Sorting the Grnpes-Grapes Gatherecl at Sunrise the Best– Varieties of Vines in the Ay Vineyards-Few of the Growers in the Champagne Crush t heir own Grapes-Squeezing the Grapes in the "Prcssoir" and Drn.wing off the Must-Cheerful Glnsses Round-The Vin,tage at l\'foreuil- Bringing in the Grapes on Mules ancl Donkeys– 'l'he Vi.Qeyarcls of Avenay, Mntigny, nncl Cumieres-Damery and Adrienne Lecouvreur, l\farechn.l de Saxe, andtheobeseAnna I wano11<-ua -'l'he Vineyards of the C()te d'Epernay- Bom sault and its Cbllteau– Pierry ancl its Vineyard Cellars-The Clos St. Pierrc-Moussy and Vinay-A Hermit's Cave nnd a Mirneulous Fountain-Ablois St. Mar– tin- The C6te d'Avize- 'l'he Grand Premier Cru of Cramant-Avize .and its Wines-The Vineyards of Oger and Le Mesuil-The Old Town of Vertus and its Vine-clad Slopes-Their Heel "\Vine formerly .celebrated 20 II.-THE VINT.A.GE IN THE CHAMPAGNE. THE VrnEY.A.RDS

Co1ttents.

P.AGE ..

THE VINEYARDS OF THE MOUNTAIN .

III.-

The Wine of Sillery-Origin of its Reno\rn-The l\forechale d'Estrees a successful l\farchande de Yin- From Reims to Sillery-Failure of t he J acquesson Vineyards-Chateau of Sillery-Wine ]\faking at l\f. Fortel's-Sillery sec-The Vintage and Vendano-eoirs at Vcrzcnay– The Verzy Vineyards-Edward III. at the Abbey of St. Baslc- l!'rom Reims to Bouzy-Thc HeITing Procession at St. Remi- Rilly, Chigny, and Ludes-The Knights Templars' "Pot" of Winc-Mailly and t he View over the Plains of the Champagne-Wine l\1aking at Mailly– The Village in the Wood-Village and CMteau of Louvois- L ouis-lc– Grand's War Minister-Bouzy, its Vineyards and Church Steepl e, and t he Lottery of the Great Gold Ingot-MM. WcrJe's and l\'Ioet and Chandon's Yendangeoirs-P1·essing the Grapes-Still Red Bouzy - Ambonnay-A Peasant Proprietor-The Vineyards of Ville-Dom– mange and Sacy, Hermonville, and St. Thieny-Thc Still Red Wi ne of the Jattcr 32: IV.-THE VINES OF THE CHAMPAGNE AND THE S YSTEM OF CuLTIVATION. The Vines chiefly of the Pineau Variety-The Plant clor6 of Ay, t he Plant vert dore, the Plant gris, and the Epinette-The Soil of the Vineyards -Close Mode of Plantation-The Operation of Provinage-The Stems of the Vines never more than Three Years Old-Fixing the Stak es to the Vines-Manuring and General Cultivation-Spring Frosts in ~ t he Champagne-Various Modes of Protecting the Vines against them -Dr. Guyot's System-The Parasites that Prey upon the Vines . . 4z Treatment of Champagne after it comes from the Wine-Press- Racking and Blending of the Wine-Deficiency and Excess of Effervesceuce– Strength and Form of Champagne Bottles-The "Tirage" or Bottling of the \Vine -The Process of Gas-making commences - Inevitable Breakage follows- Wine Stacked in Piles-Formation of Sediment - Bottles placed "sm· pointe" and Daily Shaken-Effect of this occu· pation 011 those incessantly engaged in it-" Claws" and "Masks"– Champagne Cella.rs-Their Construction and Aspect- Transforming the " vin brut" into Champagne-Disgorging and Liqueuring the Wine-The Corking, Stringing, Wiring, I and Amalgamating-The Wine's Agitated Existence comes to au End-The Bottles have their Toilettes made- Champagne se out on its beneficial Pilgrimage . 4.S V.-PREPARATION OF CHAMPAGNE.

VI.-Trrn REillrn CHAMPAGNE EsTABLISHMENTS 0 •

Messrs. Werle anci Co., successors to the Vcuve Clicquot-Ponsardin– Their Offices and Cellars on the site of a Former Commanderie of the Templars-Origin of the Celebrity of Madame Clicquot's Wines-1\f. Werle and his Son-The Forty-five Cellars of the Clicquot-Werle Establishment-Our Tow· of Inspection-Ingenious Liqueuring Ma– chine-An Explosion and its Consequences-1\1. Werle's Gallery of

Contents .

I'.l.OE– Paintiugs-i\fodnrne Clicquot's Re1rn is anee Hou e and its Pieturesqu Bas-relicfs- The Werl6 Vineyard and \ eudn ngeoirs- M. Louis Ro - derer's Estnblislnueut- Heidsieck and Co. and their Famou "Mono– pole" Brand-The Fi1·m :Founded in the L nst Century-Their rnrious Estnblishmeuts Inside nnd Outside Reim -The i\fotured Wines hipped ~~~ ~ VII.-T HE R E111rs E sTADLISH J.IE)I TS (contin·necl) . The Firm of G. H . l\Iumm nnd Co.-Their Lnrge Shipments to the United States-Their Establishments in the Rue A.ndrieux: and t he Rue Coquebert- Bottle-Washinn- wi th Glass Bends-The Cuvee aucl the Tirage-G. H. Mumm and Co.'s Vendangcoirs at Vcrzeuay– Their Vm·ious Wines-The Gate of i\fars-The Estnbli h1i1ent of 1\L Gustave Gibert on the Site · of t he htLtc!ln des A.rcbeveques- His Cellars in the Vaults of St. P eter's A.bhey and benenth the old H8tel des Fermes in the P lace Royale- Louis XV. and J ean Baptiste Colbert -M. Gibert's "\Yines-Julcs l\fomm and Co., and Ruinnrt pore et fils -House of the Musicians-The Connts de la l\farck-The Broth r- hood of Minstrels of Reims- Estnblishment of Pcrinet et fils-Their Cellars of Three Stories in Solid l\Insoury-Their Soft, Light, and Delicate Wines- A. Rare Still Vcrzcnay- i\I. Duchit.el-Ohaus's E tab– lishment and Renaissance H ouse- Eis Cellars in the Com· St. Jacques and Outside the Porte Dien-Lumierc . 74 . VIIL-THE REI MS E sTAn L rsmrnNTS (continiiecl). M. Ernest Irroy's Cellars, Vineyards, aud Vemlnngeoirs- Recognit ion by the Reims Agricultural A.ssociatiou of his P laut!ltions of Vines-His "\Vines nnd their,Popnlarity at the best London Clubs-Messrs. Binet fils anil Co.'s Establishmcnt-vViues Sold by t he Firm to Shippers– Their Cell:irs-S!lmplcs of F ine Still Ay nm! Bonzy-Their Still Sillery, Vintage 1857, !lnd their Cre!lmin g Vin Brut, Vintage 1865-The Offices nnd Cellars of Messrs. Charles I<'arre aud Co.-Test ing the Wine before Bottling-A. Promenndc bet1Yecu Bottles in Piles and Rncks-Repute in which these ·wines are held in E nglund and on the Continent--Th e New Est!lblishment of Fisse, Thirion, and Co. in the Place de Betheny -Its Construction ex:clusively in Stone, Brick, and Iron-The Vast Celliers of Two Stories-Bottling t he Wine by the Aid of Machinery -The Cool and Lofty Cellars-Ingenious Method of Securing the Corks, rendering the Uncorking exceedingly simple-The vVines Shipped by the Firm . 86" IX.-THE REil\IS EsTABLISHl\:IENTS (concluclecl). La Prison de Bonne Sem!line-l\fary Queen 0£ Scots at Reims- Messrs. Pommery and Greno's Offices-A. Fine Collection of F!l'ience-The Rue des A.nglais a former Refuge of English C:ttholics-Rem!lins of the Old University of Reims-A.ncient Roman Tower and Curious Grotto -'fhe handsome Castellated Pommery Establishment-The Spacious Cellier !lnd Huge Ca.rved Cuvee 'fuu-The Descent to the Cellars-

Contents.

P AGE.

Their Great Extent-These Lofty Subterranean Chambers Orig inally Qmu-ries-Ancient Places of Refuge of t l1e Early Christians and the Protestants- l\fadame Pommery's Splendid Cuvce of ! SGS-Messrs. de St. Marceaux and Co.'s New Establishment in the Avenue de Sillery -Its Garden-Court and Circular Shaft--_.\nim::ited Scene in t he L arge Packing Hall-Lowering Bottled Wine to the Cell::irs-Great Depth ::incl Extent of these Cellars- Messrs. de St. l\iar ceaux and Co.'s Various Wines !)3

X .-EPER NA.Y CH.A.l'lIPA.GNE E STABLISHME NT S.

.Early Records of the Moet F::imily at Reims and Epernay-J ean Remi :Moet Founder of the Commerce in Champagne Win'!s-Extracbs from the Old Account -Books of t he Moets-First Sales of Sparkling Wines - Sales to E ngland in 178S-" Milords" Farnham and :E'indlater-Jeau Remi Moet receives the Emperor Napoleon, J osephine, and t he King of Westphalia-The Firm of Moet and Chandou Constituted-Their Establishment in t he Rue du Commerce-Delivering and Washing t he NewBottles-The umerous Vineyards and Vcndangeoirs of the F irm - Making the Cuvec in Vats of 12,000 Gallons-The Bot tling of the Wine by 200 Hands- A H undred Thousand Bottles Completed Daily- 20,000 Francs' worth'. of Broken Glass in Two Years-A Subterranean City, with miles of Streets, Cross Roads, Open Spaces, Tramways, and Stations-The Ancient E nt rance to t hese Vaults-Tablet Comme– m'orative of t he Visit of Napoleon !.-Millions of Bottles of Cham– pagne in P iles and Racks-The Original Vaults known as Siheria– Scene in the P acking Hall-Messrs. Moet and Chrmdon's L arge and Complete Staff- Provision for Illness and Old Age- Annual Fete Given by the Firm-Their Famous " Star" Brand-1\1. P errier-Jouet, the lucky Grandson of a little Epernay Grocer-His Offices and Cellars– His Wine Cln.ssed accordin g to its Deserts- Messrs. Roussillon and Co.'s Establishment--'fhe Recognition accorded to their Wines-Their Stock of Old Vintages-The Extensive Establishmeut of Messrs. Pol Roger and Co.-Thei.r Large Stock of the Fine 1874 Vintage-Prepara– t ions for the Ti.rage-Their Vast F ireproof Cellier and its Admirable Temperature- Their Lofty and Capacious Cellars of Two Stories , 101 "The Establishment of Deutz and Geldermann- Drawing off t he Cuvee– Mode of Excavating Cellars in the Champagne-The F irm's New Cellars, Vineyards, and Vendangeoir -The old ChiLt eau of Ay and its Terraced Garden- The Gambling Propensities of Balthazar Constance Dange-Dorqay, a former Owner of t he ChiLteau-The Picturesque Situation and Aspect of Messrs. Ayala's Establishment-A Promenade t hrough their Cellars- M. Dummy's Cellars and Wines-His new Model Construction-The House Founded in 1Sl 4-Messrs. Bollinger's E stablishment -Their Vineyard of La Grange-The Ti.rage in Progress - The .Fine Cellars of the Firm- Messrs. Pfnngst freres and Co.'s Cellars-Their Dry Champagnes of 1S68, ' 70, '72, ancl '74-The Old Church of Ay and its Decorations of Grapes and Vineleaves- The XI.- CHAJUP.A.GNE E s TA.BL rnrr111ENTS AT AY A.ND MAREUIL .

Conte its.

PAGE. Vendnngeoir of Henri QuRtre- The Montebcllo E :;tablishmcnt nt :illforeuil-The Ch:ltc:rn ~ mierly the Property of t he Dukes of Orleans -A Titled Champa,,.ne F i.rm-Thc Brilliant Career of l\forshal Lanncs -A P romenade t hroun-h t he :\Ioutebcllo Establi hment-The Pr s" House, t he Cuv6c Vat, tho Packing-Room, the Oftlces, and tbo Cellars -Portrnits and Relics nt t he Chiltenu- The Establishment of l3ruch– Foucher and Co.-Thc hnndsomc Cn1Ted Gignut ic Cuvec 'l'un-1'h Ccllnrs nucl their Lofty Shafts-The Wines of the Firm . . 117 Avizc the Centre of the Whi te Grape D istrict-I ts Situatiou and Aspect - The E stablishment of Giesler and Co.-The Tiragc nud t he Cuv ·c– Vin Brut in Ilncks and on 'l'ablcs- Tho Packing-Hull, the Exten ivc Cellars, and the Disgorging Cellicr- Bottlo Stores and Bo tlc-Wasbiuo– Machines- Messrs. Giesler's Wiuc-Pres es nt Avize and Vcndano-coi~ at Bouzy-Their Viucynrds and their Purclrnscs of Grapes-Reputa– tion of the Giesler Brnud-Thc E stablishmcutoflU. Charles de Cn.znuove -A 'r amc Young Boar-Bonr-Huntiug in t he Clmm!1ngue- M. de Cazanove's Commodious Cellnrs nnd Carefully-Selected Wiues- Vine– y[trcls Owned by Him nnd His Family- Reputat iou of his Wines in Paris nncl their Growing Popularity in Eughud-Interesting Vie"· from 1\1. tie Cazanove's Terraced Gnrden- The Vintaging of the White Grapes in t he Champngne-Bopcr frercs' Establishment at Rilly-la– Montagnc- Thcir Ccllri.rs P enetrated by Il.oots of Trees- Some Snmplcs of Fine Old Champagnes- The Principal Chlllons E stnblishmeuts- Poem on Champagne by M. Amaury de Caznuove 12() The Sparkling Wines of the Loire ofteu palmed off as Champagnes-The Finer qunlitics Improve with .Age- Aujou the Cmdle of the Plautagcnct Kiuo-s-Snumur and its Dominating F eudal Chiltenn and Antique H6t~l deVille-Its Sinister Rue des P[tyeus and Steep Tortuous Grnncle Rue-The. Vineyards of the Coteuu of Suumur-Abaucloned Sto11e Quarries conver ted into Dwellings-The Vintage in Progress- Old· fash ioned Pressoirs- The Making of the Wine- The Vouvray Vine– yanls- Bnlzac's Picture of Ln Vallee Coquette- The Village of Vouvray aud the Chiltenu of Moucontour-Vernou with its Reminis– cences of Sully [tnd P epiu-le-Bref-The Vineyards around S[tumur– Remarkable Ancient Dolmeus- Ackermnu-Laurance's Establishment at Saiut-Floreut--Their Extensive Cellars, Ancient and Modcrn– 'freatment of the Newly-Vintaged Wine- 'fhe Cuvee- Proportious of Wine from Blnck ltnd White Grapes-The Bottling and Disgorging- of the Wine and F inishing Operntious-The Chltteau of Varraius and the E stnblishment of M. Louis Duvau nine- His Cellm·s a succession of Gloomy Gnlleries-The Disgorging of the Wine accomplished in n Melodramatic-looking Cave- M. lJuvnu's Vineyard-His Sparkling Saumur of Various .Ages- Marked Superiority of the more Matured Samples-1\f. Alfred Ronsteaux's Establishments at Saint-Florent and Saint.Cyr-His convenient Celliers and extensive Cellars- Mingling of XII.-CHA.MP.A.GNE E sT.A.BLISHMENTs .A.T AVIzE A.ND RILLY. XIII.- SP.A.RKLING S.A.UMUR A.ND SP.A.RKLING SAUTERNES.

Contents .

PAGE. Wine from the Champagne with the finer Spn.rkling Saumw·-His Vineyard at L,t Perriere-M. R Normandin's Sparkling Sauternes l\fanufactory at Chll.teauneuf- .A.ngoul&me and its Ancient Fortifica– tions-Yin de Colombar-1\I. Normandin's Sparkling Sauternes Cuvee -His Cellars near Ch!teauneuf-High recognition accorded to the Wine at the Concours Regional d'AngouMme . 139

.A.ND THE

XIV.-THE SPARKLING WINES OF B URGUND Y

JURA.

:Sparkling Wines of.the C6te d'Or at the Paris Exhibition-Chambertin, Romance, and Vongeot--Burgundy Wines and Vines formerly the Pre– sents of Princes-Vintaging Sparkling Burgundies-Their After- 1'reatment in the Cellars-Excess of Breakage-Similarity of Prn– ceeding to that followed in the Champagne-Principal Manufacturers of Sparkling Burgundies- Sparkling Wines of Tonnerre, the birth– place of the Chevalier d'Eon-The Vin d'Arbaune of Bar-sur-Aube– Death there of the Bastard de Bourbon-Madame de la l\fotte's Osten– tatious Display and Arrest there- Sparkling Wiues of the Beaujolais -The Mont-Brouilly Vineyards-Ancient Reputation of the Wines of the Jura-The Vin J aune of .A.rbois beloved of H enri Quatre-Rhymes by him in its Honour-Lons-le-Saulnier-Vineyards yielding the Sparkling Jura Wines-Their Vintaging imd Subsequent Treatment- Their High Alcoholic Strength and General Drawbacks 137 .Sparkling Wines of Auvergne, Guienne, Dauphin&, and Languedoc– Sparkling Saint-Peray the Champagne of the South-Valence with its Reminiscences of Pius VI. and Napoleon !.-The "Horns of Crnssol" on the Banks of the Rh6ne-Vintage Scene at Saint-Peray-The Vines and Vineyards Producing Sparkling Wine-Manipulation of Sparkling Saint-Peray-Its Abundance of Natw-al Sugar-The Cellars of M. de Saint-Prix and Samples of his Wines-Sparkling Cilte-Rotie, Chll.teau– Grille, and Hermitage-Annual Production and Principal Markets o Sparkling Saint-Peray-Clairette de Die-The Porte Rouge of Die Cathedral-How the Die Wine is Made-The Sparkling White and Rose-Coloured Muscatels of Die- Sparkling Wines of Vercheny and LaoTasse-Barnave and the Royal Plight to Varenncs-Narbonnc for~erly a Miniature Rome, rr w Noted merely for its Wine and Honey -F~te of the Bln.ck Virgin at ,Limoux-Preference given to the Ne1v Wine over the Miraculous Water- Blanquette of Limoux and Row it is Made-Characteristics of this Qyerrated \Vine 1 G:> X V.-THE SPARKLING WINES OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE.

XVI.-THE SPARKLING \VINES OF GERl\IANY .

•Origin of Sparkling Hock and Moselle-Sparkling German \ Vin es Fi1·st Made on the Neclrn.r-Heilbronn, aml Gotz von Berlichingen of t he Iron Hand- Lanteren of Mayence and Ramhs of T1·eves tum tlici1· attention to Sparkling Wines-Change of late years in t he CharactCl·

Contents .

!-AGE. -of Sparkling Hocks nnd l\foscllcs-Difference between them and Mous– sirender Rheiuwein-\ iutnging of Blnck and \\ hite Grape for pnrk- ling Wine-The Treatment which Gcrmnn pnrkling Wines Und ro-o– Artificinl Flnvouring nnd P c1·£uming of Sparklin"" Moselles-t' ine Natural Bouquet of High- Class Spnrkli ng Hocks-Impetus a irnn to the Manufacture of Germnn Sparkling ' Vines during the Franco– Germau Wnr-Anuunl Production-Deinh:i.rd and Co.'s Splendid New Cellars at Coblenz-The Firm's Collection of Choice Rhine and Mo- selle Wines-Their Trade in German parkling Wines-Their ow·ces of Supply- The ·vintngiug :rnd After-'l'rcntrn nt of t heir Wine - Clmrncteristics of t heir Sparkling Hocks and Moselles 172 XVII.__'..THE SPARKLING WINES OF GERM.A.NY (continued). From Coblcnz to Riidesheim-Ewnld nncl Co.'s E stnblil;hment and its Pleasant Situation-Their F ine Vaulted Cell[lrSand Convenient Acces– sories- Their Supplies of Wine drnwn from the most favoured Locali– ties-The Celebrated Vineynrcls of the Rheingau-Eltvillc and the extensive Establishment of Matheus 1\'lliller-His Va t Stocks of Still and Spm·kling German Wines-The Vineyards laid under contribution for the latter-M. Muller's Sparkling J ohimnisberge.r, Champagne, ancl Reel Sparkling Assm:mnshauser-The Site of Gutenberg's Birthplace at Mayeuce occupied by the Offices a.ncl Wine-cellars of Lauteren Sohn– The Sparkling Wine Establishment of the Firm aucl t heir F ine Collec– tion of Hocks and Moselles-Tbe Hochhcim Sparkling Wine Associa– tion- Foundation of the Establishment-Its Superior Sparkling Hocks and Moselles-The Sparkling 'Vine Establishments of Stock and Sous at Creuznach in the Nahe VaJley, of Kessler aucl Co. at Esslingen, on the Neclmr, and of l\L Oppmann a.t Wiirzburg- Thc Historic Cell::i.rs of the Kin g of Bavaria bcncflth the R esidenz-'.J.' be Establishment of F. A. Siligmi.iller 183 XVIII.-THE SPARKLING WINES OF AusTRo-HuNG.A.RY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, SPAIN, Russr.A., &c. Sparkling Voslauer-The Sparkling 'Vine l\Innufnctorics of Gra z-Estnb– lishment of Kleinoscheg Brothers-Vintnging and Treatment of Styria.n Champagnes- Spnrkling Red, Rose, nncl White ' Vines of Hun– gary-The Establishment of Hubert and Hnbcrmann at Pressburg– Sparkling W"ines of Croatia, G[llicia, Bohcmin, l\Iomvin, Dalma.tia, the •ryrol, Trnnsylvnnin, and the Ba.nat- Ncuch:ltel Chnmpng·ne- Spark– liug \Vine Factories nt Vevay and Sion-The Ycvay Vineyards– ]~stablishment of De Ricdmatten nnd De Quny- Sparkling Muscatel, l\falrnscy, Braehetto, Castngnolo, and Laerymn Christi of Italy– Sparkling 'Vines of Spain, Greece, Algeria, and Russi[l- The l\rirnski and Donski Champagnes-The Latter Chiefly Con. umed at t he Great Russian Fairs UJ6

X IX.-THE SPARKLING 'VINES OF THE UxI TED ST.A.TES.

Earliest .Effor ts at 'Vine-1\Iaking in .AmeriC[l- Fnilurcs to .Aeelimntise European Vines-Wines JI/Incle by the Swiss Set tlers and the Missiou

Contents.

PAGI:~

Fathers- The Yield of the Missicu Vineyards-The Monster Vine of the Montecito Valley- Tim Catawba Vi~e and its General Cultivation - Mr. Longworth one of·t he Founders of American Viticultmc– Fresh Attempts to mak e Sparkling Wine at Cincinnati- E xisting Sparkling Wine Manufactures there-Longfellow's Song in Praise of Catawba- The Kelley I sland Wine Company-Vintaging and Treat – ment of their Sparkling Wines-Decrease of Consumption- The Vine– yards of Hammondsport-Varieties of Grapes used for Sparkling Wines- The Vintage- After-Treatment of the Wines-The P leasant Valley and Urbana Wine Companies and their Various Brands- CnJi– fornian Sparkling Wines-The Buena Vista Vinicultural Society of San Francisco- Its Early Failm es and E\'entual Success in l\fanufac – tnring Sparkling "\Vines-The Vintage in California - Cbiuese Vin– tagers- How the Wine is l\Iade- Americnn Spurious Sparkling Wiues 203 Drj· and Sweet Champagnes- Their Sparkling Properties- Form of Champagne Glasses- Style of Sparkling Wines Consumed in Different Countries-The Colour and Alcoholic Streugth of Champagne-Cham– pagne Approved of by the Faculty-Its Use in Nervous Derangements - The I cing of Champagne-Scar city of Grand Vintages in the Cham– pagne-The Quality of t he Wine bas little influence on the Price– Prices realised by the Ay and Ver zena.y Crus in Grand Year s- Sug– gestions for laying clown Champagnes of Grand Vintages- The Im– provement they Develop after a few Years- The Wine of 187'1- Thc proper kind of Cellar to lay down Champagne in- Advantages of Burrow's Patent Slider Wine Bins- Increase in the Consumptiou of Champagne- Tabular Statement of Stocks, E xports, and H ome Cou– sumption from 1844-5 to 1877-8-When to Ser ve Champague at a Dinner P arty- Charles Dickens's dictum that its proper place is at a Ball-Advantageous Effect of Champagne at nu Ordinary British Dinner P ar ty- Sparkling Wine Cups . . 213 XX.-C ONCLUDING FACTS AND H INTS.

. 225

THE PRINCIPAL S PARKLING WINE BRANDS

AND

OTHER SPARKLING WINES.

I.-THE ORIGIN OF CHAMPAGNE.

The ERrly Yineyards of the Clmmp11gne-Their Produce esteemed by Popes and Kings, Courtiers and Prelates-Controversy regarding the rival Merits of the Wines of Burgundy and the Champagne-Dom Perignon's happy Discovery of Sparkling Wine-Its Pntrons under Louis Quntorze and the Regency-The Ancient Church and Abbey of Hautvillers-F11rre and Co.'s Champagne Cellars-The Aobey of St. Peter now a Farm-Existing Remains of the Monastic Buildings-The Tombs and Decorations of the Ancient Church-The Last Resting.Place of Dom P erignon-The Legend of the Ho y Dove-Good Champagne the Result of Labour, Skill, Minute Precaution, and C:ireful Observation. . STRONG men, we know, lived before Agamemnon; and strong wine was made in the fair province of Champa.gne long before the days of the sagacious Dom Perignon, to whom we are indebted for the sparkling vintage known under the now familiar name. The chalky slopes that border the Marne were early recognised as offering special advantages for the culture of the vine. The priests and monks, whose vows of sobriety certainly did not lessen their appreciation of the good things of this life, B

I, I I

Chamvpagne and Other Spwrkling Wines.

10

and the produce of whose vineyards usually enjoyed a higher reputation than that of their lay neighbours, were clever enough to seize upon the most eligible sites, and quick to spread abroad the fame of their wines. St. Remi, baptiser of Clovis, the first Christian king in France, at the end of the :fifth century l eft by will, to various churches, the vineyards which he owned at R eims and Laon, together with the "vilains" employed in their cultiva– tion. Some three and a half centuries later we find worthy Bishop Pardulus of Laon imitating Paul's advice t o Timothy, and urging Archbishop Hincmar to drink of t he wines of Epernay and Reims for his stomach's. sake. The crusade– preaching Pope, Urban II., who was born among the vineyards of the Champagne, dearly loved the wine of Ay; and his en ergetic appeals to the princes of Europe to take up arms for the deliver– ance of the Holy Sepulchre may have owed some of their elo– quence to his favourite beverage. The red wine of the Champagne sparkled on the boards of monarchs in the Middle Ages when they sat at meat amidst their mailclad chivalry, and quaffed mighty beakers to the confusion of the Paynim. Henry of Andely bas sung in his f abliau of the " Bataille des Vins," how, when stout Philip August us and his chaplain constituted themselves the earliest known wine-jury, the eras of Espernai, Auviler, Chaalons, and Reims were amongst those which found most favour in their eyes, though n early a couple of centuries elapsed before Eustace Desch amps r ecorded in verse the rival merits of those of Cumieres and Ay. King W enceslaus of Bohemia, a mighty toper, got so royally drunk day after day upon the v..inta.ges of the Champagne, that h e forgot all about the treaty with Charles VI., tha t had formed the pretext of bis visit to France, and would probably have lingered, goblet in hand, in the old cathedral city till the day of his death, but for the presentation of a little account for wine consumed, which sobered him to repentance and led to his abrupt departure. Dunois, L ahire, Xaintrailles, and their fellows, when they rode with J oan of Arc to the corona.tion of Charles VII., di-ank the same generous fluid, through h elmet s

The Origin of Champagne. 11 barred, to the speedy expulsion of the detested English from the soil of France. · The vin d'.Ay-vi?tum Dei as Dominicus Baudoin punningly styled it-was, according to old P aulmier, the ordinary drink of the kings and princes of his day. It fostered bluff King Hal's fits of passion and the tenth Leo' s artistic extravagance; con– soled Francie I. for the field of Pavia, and solaced his great rival in his retirement at St. Just. All of them had their commis– sioners at .Ay to secure the best wine for their own consumption. Henri Quatre, whose venclangeoir is still shown in the village, h eld the wine in such honour that he was wont to style himself the Seigneur d'Ay, just as J ames of Scotland was known as the Gudeman of Ballangeich. When his son, Louis XIII., was crowned, the wines of the Champagne were the only growths allowed to grace the board at the royal banquet. Freely too did they flow at the coronation feast of the Grand ·Mona·rque, when the crowd of assembled courtiers, who quaffed them in his honour, hailed them as the finest wines of the day. But the wines which drew forth all these encomiums were far from resembling the champagne of modern times. They were not, as has been asserted, all as red as burgundy and as flat as port; for at the close of the sixteenth century some of them were of a fauve or yellowish hue, and of the intermediate tint between red and white which the French call clairet, and which our old writers translate as the " complexion of a cherry" or the " colour of a partridge's eye." But, as a rule, the wines of the Cham– pagne up to this period closely r esembled those prqduced in the adjacent province, where Charles the Bold had once held sway; a resemblance, no doubt, having much to do with the great medical controversy regarding their respective merits which arose in 1652. In that year a young medical student, hard press'ed for the subject of his inaugural thesis, and in the firm faith that

"None but 11 clever dialectician Can hope to become a good physiciim, And that logic plays an important part In the mystery of the healing art,"

12

Champagne and Othe1· Sparkling Wines.

propounded the theory that the wines of Burgundy were preferable to those of the Champagne, and that the latter were irritating to the nerves and conducive to gout. The faculty of medicine at B.eims naturally rose in arms at this insolent assertion. They seized theii· pens and poured forth a deluge of French and Latin in defence of the wines of their province, eulogising alike their purity, thefr brilliancy of colour, their exquisite flavour and per– fume, their great keeping powers, and, in a word, their general super~ority to the Burgundy growths. The partisans of the latter were equally prompt in rallying in their defrmce, and the faculty of medicine of Beaune, having put their learned periwigs together, enunciated their v:iews and handled their opponents without mercy. The dispute spread to the entire medical pro– fession, and the champions went on pelting each other with pamphlets in prose and tractates in verse, until in 1778-long after- the bones of the original disputants were dust and their lancets rust-the faculty of Paris, to whom the matter was referred, gave a final and formal decision in favour of the wines o( the Champagne. ' Meanwhile an entirely new. kind of wine, which was to carry the name of the province producing it to the uttermost c0rners of the earth, had been introduced. On the picturesque slopes of the Marne, about,fifteen miles from Reims, and some four or five miles from Epernay, stands the little hamlet of Hautvil.lers, which, in pre-revolutionary days, was a.mere dependency upon a spacious abbey dedicated to St. Peter. Here the worthy monks of the order of St. Benedict h d live_d in peace and prosperity for several hundred years, carefully cultivating the acres of vineland extending around the abbey, and religiously exacting a tithe of all the other wine pressed in their district. The revenue of the community thus depending in no small degree upon the vin– tage, it wa.s natural that the post of " celerer" should be one of impqrlance. It haippened that about the year 1688 this office was conferred upon a worthy monk named Perignon. Poets and roasters, we know, aire born, and not made ; and the monk in question seems to have been a heaven-born cellarman, with a

Tlie Origin of Champagne.

strong head and a discriminating palate. The wine exacted from the neighbouring cultivators was of all qualities-good, bad, and indifferent; and with the spirit of a true Benedictine, Dom P erignon hit upon the idea of "marrying" the produce of one vineyard with that of another. He had noted that one kind of soil imparted fragrance and another generosity, and discovered that a white wine could be made from the blackest grapes, which would keep good, instead of turning yellow and degenerating like the wine obtained from white ones. Moreover, the happy thought occurred to him that a piece of c01·k was a much more suitable stopper for a bottle than the flax dipped in oil which had heretofore served that purpose. The white, or, as it was sometimes styled, the grey wine of the Champagne grew famous, and, the manufacture spread throughout the province, but that of Hautvillers held the pre– dominance. To Dom P erignon the abbey' s well-stocked cellar was · a far cheerfuller place than the cell. Nothing delighted him more than ·

" To come down among this brotherhood Dwelling for ever underground,

Silent, contemplritive, round a.ud sound, Each one old and brown with mould, But filled to the lips with the arclom· of youth, '\V'ith the latent power and love of truth, Auel with virtues fervent and manifold."

11

Ever busy among his vats and presses, barrels and bottles, P erignon alighted upon a discovery destined to be most im– portant in its results. H e found out the way of making an effervescent wine~a wine that burst out of the bottle and over– flowed the glass, that was twice as dainty to the t aste, and twi ce as exhilarating in its effects. It was at the close of the seven– teenth century that this discovery was made- when the glory of the Roi Soleil was on the wane, and with it the splendour of the Court of Versailles. Louis XTV., for whose especial benefit liqueurs bad been invented, recovered a gleam of bis youthful ener gy as he sipped the creamy foaming vintage that enlivened his dreary ·tetes-c/A etes with the widow of Scarron. It found its chief patrons

14

Ch(JITnpagne and Other Spa1·lcling Wines. I

however, amongst the bands of gay young roysterers, the future roues of the Regency, whom the Due d'Orleans and the Due de Vendome had gathered round them at the Palais Royal and at Anet. It was at one of the famous soupers d'Anet that the Marquis de Sillery-who had turned his sword into a pruning– knife, and applied himself to the cultivation of his paternal vine– yards. on the principles inculcated by the celerer of St. Peter's– ·first introduced the sparklingwine bearing his name. The flower– wreathed bottles, which, at a given signal, a dozen of blooming young damsels scantily draped in the guis~ of Bacchanals placed upon the table,were hailed with rapture, and thenceforth sparkling wine was an indispensable adjunct at all the p etits soupers of the period. In the highest circles the popping of champagne-corks seemed to ring the knell 0£ sadness, and the victo~·ies of Marl– borough were in a measure compensated for by this happy discovery. ' 1 Why the wine foamed and sparkled was a mystery even to the very makers themselves; for as yet Baume's aerometer was unknown, and the connection between sugar and carbonic acid undreamt of. The general belief was that the llegree of effer– vescence depended upon the time of ye~r at which the wine was bottled, and that the rising of the sap in the vine had everything to do with it. Certain wiseacres held that it was influenced by the age of the moon at the time of bottling; whilst others thought the effervescence could be best secured by the addition of spirit, alum, and various nastinesses. It was this belief in the use and efficacy of drugs that led to a temporary reaction against the wine about 171 , in which year Dom Perignon de– parted this life. In his latter days he had grown blind, but his discriminating taste enabled him to discharge .his duties with URabated efficiency to the end. Many ~f the tall tapering glasses invented by him have been emptied to the memory of the old Benedictine, whose remains repose beneath a black marble slab in the chancel of the archaic abbey church of Hautvillers. Time and the iconoclasts of the great Revolution have spared but little of the royal abbey of St. Peter where Dom