DOMESTIC ECONOMY, HYGIENE, DIETETICS. 



425 



pagne is considered a very dangerous beverage. 

 There is no wine, with the possible exception 

 of sherry, that is more extensively adulterated 

 and imitated by artificial combinations than 

 sparkling champagne. The sparkling of cham- 

 pagne is properly caused by the fermentation 

 of rock candy introduced into still wine. In- 

 ferior wines have carbonic acid pumped in ; in 

 either case the sparkle cannot be depended 

 upon for more than two years. The red cham- 

 pagnes are riot used much in this country ; 

 they seldom equal Burgundy, which they 

 much resemble. That of Clos de St. Thierry 

 is considered the best. 



In selecting champagne, many consider the 

 briskness and effervescence as a test of their 

 excellence ; but a good judge will prefer a 

 liquor of moderate briskness, as much of the 

 aroma evaporates with the froth. Champagne 

 must be kept in an eqifable temperature, and 

 cooled by ice, outside of the bottle, never in 

 the wine. Tt intoxicates quickly and the ex- 

 citement it produces is of a more vivacious 

 and agreeable character than that which comes 

 from any other wine, but its duration is 

 shorter, and the reaction less. For this rea- 

 son it is sometimes used as a tonic for invalids 

 and those suffering from a very debilitated 

 condition. The best brands are: Pornmery 

 and Greno, Roederer, Mumm, Due de Monte- 

 bello, Krug, Geisler, and Heidsieck. Veuve 

 Clicquot is highly prized as one of the best of 

 the sweet wines. 



Claret. Those wines which are known 

 to us as claret are the product of the country 

 around Bordeaux ; but in France there is no 

 wine known as claret, which is simply a cor- 

 ruption of clariet, a term applied there to any 

 red or rose-colored wine. The genuine wines 

 of Bordeaux are of great variety, that being one 

 of the most famous wine districts of France, 

 and a number of them are of the first quality. 

 The principal vineyards are those of Medoc, 

 Palus, Graves, and Blanche, the produce of 

 each being different in character. The red 

 Medoc wines are the best, and are known as 

 Latour, Lafitte, Chateau Margaux, etc. When 

 in perfection, they are of a rich red color, 

 have a most agreeable bouquet, and are strong 

 and somewhat intoxicating. The Laftte is 

 considered to have the finest flavor ; the Chateau 

 Margaux is next in rank ; the Latour is the 

 strongest, and has the fiillest body, but lacks 

 the softness of the others. Besides these there 

 are vast quantities of second and third rate 

 Medoc wines, which seldom find their way out 

 of France in a pure state. All the Medoc 

 wines are improved by a sea voyage. 



The wines of Graves are so called from the 

 gravelly soil on which they are produced ; they 



are both red and white, but the latter is most 

 celebrated. Some of the red resemble Bur- 

 gundy in flavor, but are inferior to good Me- 

 doc wines. 



Another class of white Bordeaux wines well 

 known in this country are Barsac, Sauterne, 

 and Beaume, which have the advantage of 

 keeping long and having considerable dryness. 



The Palus wines are inferior to the Medoc 

 and Graves. They are strong and rough when 

 new, and are often used to mix with Medoc 

 wines to give them additional strength and 

 body ; when old, some of them have a fine 

 bouquet. 



The Bordeaux wines, when genuine, are 

 among the best that France produces ; but 

 they seldom reach us in a pure state. The in- 

 ferior are mixed with the better kind for ex- 

 portation ; and very often they are adulterated 

 with the cheap Spanish wines of Alicant, or 

 with brandy. 



The highest grades of claret, which we sel- 

 dom get in this country, are said to keep from 

 fifteen to eighteen years, improving in delicacy, 

 After that time they rapidly deteriorate and 

 soon become repulsive in odor, and nauseating 

 to the taste. 



Madeira. A white wine made in the 

 island of Madeira, which, when genuine, is 

 one of the richest wines in the world, hav- 

 ing great strength, dryness, and delicacy of 

 flavor. It is extremely durable in all cli- 

 mates, and improves with age. Madeira, be- 

 ing a strong wine naturally, has, least of 

 all, occasion for the addition of brandy ; 

 yet it is the constant practice to add 

 some of this Spirit previous to exportation, 

 which is incorporated in time. The inferior 

 kinds are made up with almonds and various 

 additions ; and, in fact, the adulterations are 

 so numerous that the wine has lately fallen 

 into comparative disrepute. The prejudice 

 against Madeira has been considerably in- 

 creased by the supposed discovery that it con- 

 tains a Tittle more acid than sherry, but this 

 opinion has been disputed, and seems to have 

 been derived from the inferior Madeiras. 



Several years ago, the vines failed in the 

 island of Madeira, and the best Madeira is 

 now very old. The new wine made from vines 

 planted in the island within a few years is 

 excellent for its age. 



Madeira keeps best in demijohns in a mod- 

 erately warm place, though it keeps quite well 

 in bottles. Warmth seems to ripen it and bring 

 out its best qualities. 



Burgundy. The choicest wines of the 

 ancient province of Burgundy in France are 

 among the richest, most aromatic, and deli- 



