1910 Jack's Manual by J A Grohusko

The Disgorgement. The deposit, having settled on the cork, is

now ready to

be placed head downward, to a depth of three inches, in a refrigerating bath Under the action of the cold, the deposit congeals in the neck of the bottle. The cellerman then takes the bottle out of the bath, holds it upright, undoes the clasp and eases the cork, which the pressure of the carbonic gas inside eventu- ally forces out with a loud report, together with the deposit. The wine is then absolutely clear. The Liquering. After disgorging, the wine has not the least taste of sugar, the sugar added at bottling having been completely transformed into alcohol and carbonic acid. Whilst in this state the wine is known as "brut." To regulate it to the client's taste, which varies in different countries, a certain quantity of liqueur, composed of sugar candy and wine from the finest Champagne vineyards, is added immediately after the disgorging. The Corking. For corking, the best Spanish corks are used and are held in by either string and wire or wire muzzle, according to the custom of each house. Finally the capsule and label are put on and the bottles are packed in cases or baskets ready for shipment. The cellars are located at Reims, Epernay, Ay, Avize, etc., and are well worth seeing. FRENCH WINES. The word "claret" means a wine of clear, red color. It is the English name given to the red wines of France, and particularly those grown in the Bordeaux district. Chateau wines are those made from grapes of a selected character and grown on vineyards of wealthy gentlemen, who devote much time and money in their careful cultivation, storing and aging. Chateau bottled wines rank very high in the estimation of the connoisseur. Wines described as bearing the Cachet du Chateau are simply those which have the crest or coat of arms bearing that name on the label. The caps and corks are likewise branded. There are hundreds of districts where good wines are grown. To enumerate their varieties would fill volumes, and with a limited space at disposal it is impossible to give more than superficial indication of the best known brands. The wines of France have a recognized classifi- cation, according to value. WINES OF ITALY. Italy ranks second in the wine production of the world. extracted. To do this the bottle is first

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