S3 Memoir on the Vineyards and Wines 



VIII. How long does a good Vine Plant last ? 



A good vine plant lasts 50 or 60 years, and frequently 

 longer, according to the care which has been taken of it. 



A vine plant is deteriorated generally by the bad manage- 

 ment of the vine-dressers with respect to the shoots or slips: 

 if they are not sunk deep enough in the ground, the vine 

 plant becomes overwhelmed with roots, which at last form 

 a solid cake, and absorb all the juices from the ground : the 

 vine being thus incapable of shooting, the evil ought to be 

 instantly remedied. 



IX. W hat Kind of Grapes are best adapted for White Wine? 

 Black and white grapes are planted indiscriminately in the 



same vineyard : and this is perhaps wrong ; for the term of 

 maturity is not the same with both kinds of grape. The 

 reason assigned for this practice is, that wine made from 

 black grapes alone would be too vinous, and would become 

 muddy {sujet d tacher) in hot seasons ; while wine mack 

 from white grapes would be too soft : the latter kind of 

 grapes would be too soft, as containing more mucilage 

 (muqueux). 



X. Is tlw Black Grape preferable to the White?— State the 



Cause of tliis Superiority . 



There is not much variety in the grapes of Champagne. 



The black are generally preferred to the white grapes for 

 several reasons ; Ln the first place, the black grapes resist 

 much belter the rains and frost so common about vintage 

 time. Secondly, because there is more vinosity and fine- 

 ness in the black grape, and it gives more of what is called 

 body to the wine; the white on the contrary is too muci- 

 laginous, renders the wine soft, and exposes it to become 

 yellow, or to thicken. 



There are whole cantons, however, such as Chouilly, 

 Cramauit:, Avise, Bisseuil, &c, where there are but very 

 few black grapes, and yet their wine is in high estimation. 



XI. Which of the Exposures is most suhjeet to tJie Hoar- 

 frosts of Spring ? 

 The effects of frost are only to be feared at sunrise: the 



-■ eastern 



