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

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The total annual production of wine in the United States now amounts to about 35,000,000 gallons. "VINTAGES" The most appreciated vintage wines now in the market are 1898 (a very limited quantity available), 1900 and 1904. The vintage of 1906 is not yet generally marketed, but it will be much appreciated. At the moment, for any event, the dis- criminator can make no error in the selection of "Brut 1900" or "Brut 1904," for, while the Cuvee of these years was not — the sparkle and! brilliancy due to a naturally generated carbonic acid gas. Still wines may be charged with gas, imitating champagne, but the result is never satisfactory. It is this method which has been responsible for the delimitation of the district from which wines may be shipped as "Champagne," the French Government permitting the use of the word Champagne only on wine produced naturally in the Department of the Marne. Wine of the Department of the Aube may be labelled "Champagne of the Second Zone." The total area now under cultivation to produce true Champagne, under prescribed regulation is only about 37,000 acres. Contrary to the general understanding Champagne is produced principally from black grapes. THE CUV2E During the spring the merchant makes the "Cuvee," which is the assembling of a number of wines in one blend; depending upon the business of the merchant it may be a few or many thousand bottles and until finally disposed of is known as the "Special Cuvee" of the year of blending. "Vintage years" are the years of especially fine crops and in such years the Cuvee is made as large as proper qualities permit. The making of the Cuvee is the most delicate operation in the profession, requiring exquisite judgment in the selection of the wines to be blended to produce the perfect Cuvee, a definite result being obtained only after a period of years as the wine rounds out in maturity in the bottle. BOTTLING By the aid of mechanical apparatus the wine, to which is added a certain quantity of cane sugar, is put into new and carefully rinsed out bottles; these are corked and the cork held in by means of an iron clasp. The bottles are immediately stored on their sides in immense cellars, hewn from solid chalk. SERVING The process of uncorking this wine is often grossly mis- managed. The cork should be slowly and noiselessly^ ex- tracted after, first the wire, and then the string, are entirely large, the wine is exquisite in its maturity. True champagne is naturally effervescent

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