1872 Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks (Mixellany)

8 Wines. equal the finer growths. The characteristics of the best red growths are a bright deep ruby or violet colour, exquisite bouquet, of the flavour of the rasp- berry and violet, a soft silky taste to the palate, and possessing the quality of endurance. Ordinary claret is one of the most refreshing and invigorating of beverages. It is easy of digestion, and well suited for general use, especially in warm climates, being a mildly stimulating drink. The district has been estimated to produce upwards of 85,000,000 gallons of wine. Champagne. —Let us now turn to Champagne —"the spring dew of the spirit—the heart's rain;" this is the produce of vineyards in the ancient province, so called, which now compre- hends the departments of Aube, Ardennes, Marne, and Haut Marne: the surface of the country presents extensive plains with ranges of hills. The wines are distinguished, according to the site of the vineyards, into river or mountain growths, the former being for the most part white, the latter red. The vineyards in the department t)f Marne produce the most esteemed wines, those of the neighbourhood of Epernay and Rheims being the most famous among them, Epernay, which is situated between hills in the midst of the vine-lands,