1916 Jack's Manual by J A Grohusko (4th edition)

must be got rid of. effected by two operations. These are the "mise sur pointe" and the "disgorgement." THE MISE SUR POINTE The bottles are placed head downward through an inclined plank pierced with holes at an angle of 70 degrees. Every- day for at least three months a cellarman, specially trained for this kind of work, shakes the bottles lightly against the plank with a wrist movement quick and sharp. The deposit slowly descends and collects on the cork. THE DISGORGEMENT The deposit, having settled on the cork, is now ready to be extracted. To do this the bottle is first 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 cellarman 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 eventually forces out with a loud report, together with the deposit. The wine is then absolutely clear. THE LIQUEURING After disgorging, the wine has not the least taste of sugar, the sugar added at bottling having been completely trans- formed 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 dis- gorging. 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 Rheims, Epernay, Ay, Avize, etc., and are well worth seeing. ALWAYS A LUXURY True champagne can never be other than a luxury, from the cost of cultivation, the care in making, the long period elapsing before the wine has reached maturity and principallv because of the limited area in which it can be produced. The loss from leakage and breakage is enormous, owing to the pressure upon the bottle, and difficulty of transportation. This is

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