Notes and Events.

Manawatu Herald, 17 November 1894, Page 3

Notes and Events.

In the Pall Mall Mugatine appear* an interesting paper on Champagne. ChaanJagnee of gome years &r« far euperior to olheri. Clrea'fc c&re baa to be taken to make the whole of the wine of each season absolutely homogeneous in tone, strength and aroma. This necsaaarily requires time and patience of which the following will give a slight indica* tion : — After bottling the bottles are placed in iron bins id the deep underground cellars, aed here, the wine lies manuring for from two to thvae years. In its matured, effervescent state, when the carbonic acid it dissolved, the glucose decomposed, and the alcohol disengaged, a deposit remains in the bottle which muat be removed without injniy to the wine. For this purpose each bottle ia placed obliquely in the sidfi of a two-sided plane, each aide holding about sixty bottles ; or perpendicuiaily in a hole in a table, with th« cork downwards. To each j bottle, day by day, the rcmucv.T or : mover of the bottles gives a " acien i tific " rotatory movement, jerking it co as to loosen the sediment or " crust " from the sides, so that it may be deposited upon the cork. This operation ie continued for mouths together, until the whole Bfdiment has been thus deposited. Ejecting the sediment from the bottle is effected by quickly removing the cork taking care no more , wine i 9 expelled than ie absolutely \ necessary. | — I The bottles for this wine must be mad« from materials free from flints, flaws, and air bubbles. There must , be no salt in the glass or the carbonic acid of the wine would decom* pose it, and thua the flavour of the wine would be changed. The bottleo must be able to withstand a pressure ! of from five to six atmospheres, and be made conical, with Barrow, graduated, elongated necks. Beat champagnes vary only in degrees of sweetness, and this variation is made to suit the different countries into which they tre sent. After the wine has bean finally corked it is placed in cellars for various countries : there being one for England, America, Germany, Rueaift, &c. The Clicquot cellars are situated in the Rue Ie Twmple, Bheim*, and are excavated in the earth from 75 to 100 feet below the surface. Thin ig to insure the two essentials to the " health " of champagne ; absolute etillnesa for the wine, and all but perfect equality of temperature throughout the year. The cellars are light by gas and hold from twelve to fourteen millions of botMov. The house employs 600 hands. Ob a hill outside Rheimi stands the establishment of Madame Veuve Pommery & Co. A door opt-us upon a descent of 100 steps leading to th* vault*, giving warehouse room for about fifteen millions tatties and and hundreds of casks of wine, Th« place it lighted by electricity.