232 Memoir on the Vineyards and Wines 



upon because all germination has ceased, and Nature is in a 

 state of perfect repose ; thereby all fermentation is avoided ; 

 and red wines may therefore be safely bottled from the first 

 of October until the end of December: at any other season 

 great inconveniences would arise; for I know of nothing 

 worse than red wine bottled in spring time; it retains a 

 slight degree of fermentation, and is very disagreeable to 

 the taste. 



There are some excellent and generous wines which can 

 remain three or four years on their lees : of this description 

 are the wines of St. Thierry. 



How long will Red Wines keep in Bottles P 

 The more body and spirit the wine has, the better is it 

 preserved in bottles : the more tender, delicate, and light it 

 is, the more difficultly is it kept. 



This is the reason why the wines of Mailly, Chiny, Che- 

 nay, and Hermonville, keep worse than those of Verzenay, 

 Bouzy, and Verzy; and these last worse than those of St. 

 Thierry, To conclude: — We may safely venture to say, that 

 the best red wines of Haute Montagne will keep in good 

 cellars for six, eight, ten, and twelve years. 



What Degree of Temperature, according to Reaumur's Ther- 

 mometer, ought the Cellars to have ? 

 The cellars in Champagne are from 25 to 40 feet in depth, 

 particularly those which are dug in beds of chalk, and in 

 which it is necessary to dig low, in order to obtain such a 

 solidity of earth above, as to render an arch unnecessary. It 

 results from experiments made by Messrs. Dubois, mer- 

 chants at Rheims, that several good thermometers placed 

 in various situations in their cellars, always marked five 

 degrees below the temperature of the atmosphere. The va-r 

 nations between winter and summer were not half a degree, 

 and could not be noted. 



What is the Cost of an Acre of Vineyard? .. 



FIRST CLASS. 



Livrcs. 



In Haute Montagne - 2000 

 Tn Basse Montague - 1000 



In St. Thierry " - - yoo 



SECOND 



