1879 Facts About Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines

The Epernay EsUiblishments.

103

property in the vicinity of Epernay, decided upon embarking in the wine trade. It is his son, however, Jean Remi Moet, born in i'758, who may be looked upon as the veritable founder of the present commerce in Champagne wines, which, thanks to his efforts, received a wonderful impulse, so that instead of the consumption of the vintages ofthe Marne being limited as here– tofore to the privileged few, it spread all over the civilised world. At Messrs. Moet and Chandon's we had the opportunity of inspecting some of the old account-books of the firm, and more particular!y those recording the transactions of Jean Remi Moet and his father. The first sales of sparkling wine, on May 23rd, 1743, comprised 301 bottles of the vintage of 1741 to Pierre Joly, wine-merchant, bon des douze chez le Roi, whatever that may mean, at Paris; 120 bottles to Pierre Gabriel Baudoin, also bon des doitze, at Paris ; and a similar quantity to the Sieur Compoin, keeping the " hotellerie ditte la pestitte Escurie," Rue du Port Maillart, at Nantes in Brittany. The entry specifies that the wine for Nantes is to be left at Choisy– le-Roi, and taken by land to Orleans by the carters of that town, who are to be found at the Ecu d'Orleans, Porte St. Michel, Paris, the carriage as far as Choisy being 4 livres 10 deniers (about 4 francs) for thfil two half-baskets, and to Paris 3 lines 15 deniers the basket. Between 1750 and '60, parcels of wine were despatched to Warsaw, Vienna, Berlin, Konigsbei·g, Dantzig, Stettin, Brussels, and Amsterdam; ' but one found no mention of any sales to England till the year 1788, when the customers of the firm included "Milord" Farnham, . of London, and Messrs. Felix Calvert and Sylvin, who had a couple of sample bottles sent to them, for which they were charged five shillings. In the same year Messrs. Carbonnell, Moody, and Walker (predecessors of the ,well-known existing firm of Carbonnell and Co.) wrote in French for two baskets, of ten dozens each, of vin de champagne "of good body, not too charged with liqueur, but of excellent taste, and not at all sparlding !" while the Chevalier Colebrook, writing from Bath, requests that 72 bottles of champagne may