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

care, ever precaution being taken to ensure proper develop- ment and long preservation. Burgundies are generally bottled when two or three years old. The characteristics of Burgundy wines are a bouquet and flavor which are inimitable, fine taste, body, seve, all of which qualities constitute one of the finest products under the sun. Each growth or district has naturally its peculiar qualities and varies in value from the ordinary to the highest grades. Beaujolais are comparatively light, bouqueted and develop rapidly in bottle, Macon are firmer with color, are of good preservation, and develop a fair bouquet with age. The Cote d'Or produces a great variety of fine wines, some relatively medium bodied, others very full bodied, rich and fruity. Burgundy should be served, and is best appreciated, with heavy roasts and large game. At the temperature of the room all its fine qualities develop. It is estimated that viticultural Burgundy covers a surface of about 45,000 square kilometres, with a population of about one and a half millions. The vineyards with an area of 83,346 hectares belong to 83,173 owners making an average of one hectare for each. The average annual production for the decennial period 1897-1906 was: Yonne 488,500 hectolitres Saone et Loire 1,401,500 " Cote d'Or 872,500 The figures of the 1907, 1908 and 1909 crops were: 1907 1908 1909 ^ Yonne 559,900 427,800 250,800 Saone et Loire 1,204,800 2,306,500 1,015,000 Cote d'Or .... 679,200 929,300 404,100^ In 1910 the crop was practically nil and the figures are not worth mentioning. HOW TO SERVE BURGUNDY Red Burgundies should be served at the dining-room tem- perature, having been brought from the cellar several hours before the meal, after having decanted them off their sedi- ment, or by using special baskets in which the bottles are laid just as they lay in the bin. Burgundy wines in bottle form a sediment, owing to ma- turing, which is more or less abundant according to the growths and ages. This sediment does not impair the qual- ity of the wine, provided the bottle is uncorked carefully and not shaken so as to disturb the sediment. The cork having been drawn, the wine should be carefully decanted while holding the bottle up against the light in the same position as it was when stored in the cellar. As soon as the sediment is nearing the neck of the bottle the de-

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