1879 Facts About Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines

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Ohannpagne ancl Othe1· Sparlding Wines.

Early in the last century the wine vintaged in the Clos St. Pierre, belonging to an abbey of this name at Chttlons, acquired a high reputation through the care bestowed upon it by Brother Jean Oudart, whose renown almost rivalled that of Dom Perignon himself, and to-day the Pien-y vineyards, producing exclusively black grapes, hold a high rank among the second-class crus of the Marne. Crossing the Sourdon, a little stream which, bubbling up in the midst of 'huge rocks in the forest of Epernay, rushes down the hills and mingles its waters with that of the Cubry, we soon reach Moussy, where the vineyards, spite of their long pedi– gree and southern aspect, also rank as a second cru. Still skirt– ing the .vine-clad slopes we come to Vinay, noted for an ancient grotto-the comfortless abode of some rheumatic anchorite-and a pretended miraculous spring to which fever-stricken pilgrims to-day credulously resort. The water may possibly merit its renown, but the wine here produced is very inferior, due no doubt to the class of vines, the meunier being the leading variety cul– tivated. At Ablois St. Martin, picturesquely perched partway up a slope in the midst of hills covered with vines and crowned with forest trees, the Cote d'Epernay ends, and the produce becomes of a choicer character. The Cote d'Avize lies to the south-east, so that we have to retrace our steps to Pierry and- follow the road which there bran_ches off, leaving the vineyards of Chavot, Monthelon, and Grauves , of no particular note, on our right hand. We pass through Cuis, where the slopes, plantedwith both black and white varieties of vines, are extremely abrupt, and eventually reach Cramant, one ~f the grand premiers crus of the Champagne. From the vineyards around this picturesque little village, and extend– ing along the somewhat precipitous Cote de Saran-a prominent object on which is M. Moet's handsome chateau-there is vint.aged a wine from white grapes especially r'3markable for light~ ness and delicacy and the richness of its bouquet, and an admix_ ture of which is essential to every first-class champagne C'U!Vee. From Cramant the road runs direct to Avize, a large thriving