1872 Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks (Mixellany)

Champagne. 11 of judgment in the selection and purchase of this wine, all not being Champagne that is represented as such. The brands and names of the best manu- facturers being closely imitated, a good test of genuine Champagne is the rapidity with which it throws down its head ; hence the desirability of using a tall glass, in preference to the flat broad glasses now so much in vogue. Good Champagne does not require much iceing. Mr. JBrande tells us : " The prevalent notion, that a glass of Champagne cannot be too quickly swallowed is erroneous ; and it is no bad test of the quality of Champagne to have it exposed for some time in a wine-glass, when, if originally of the highest order, it will be found to have lost its carbonic acid gas, but to have retained its body and flavour, which had before been con- cealed by its effervescence. Champagne, therefore, should not be drunk till this active effervescence is over, by those who would relish the above charac- teristic quality." The Champagne district is estimated to produce annually on an average 52,000,000 gallons of wine. The manufacturers sustain much loss from the bursting of bottles. That, and the care demanded in the manufacture, and expense entailed before a bottle is ready to be sent to market, renders genuine