THE VINEYARDS OF THE WORLD. 23 



and in the western part of the Departement 

 of Charente, are situated the vineyards of 

 the Grande Champagne and Petite Cham- 

 pagne, which produce the finest Brandies. 

 On the opposite side of the river Charente, 

 there is a small district known as Borderies, 

 where Brandy of excellent quality is also 

 made. 



The soil of the Grande and Petite Cham- 

 pagnes is chiefly calcareous ; in the Border- 

 ies, the soil is of a similar nature, but the 

 chalk it consists of is of a harder kind than 

 in the Champagnes. From the Vineyards 

 of these three districts is produced a dis- 

 tinctive and constant type of brandy of 

 greater finesse and excellence than any 

 other, and one which no connoisseur can 

 fail to identify. 



Outside these principal growths, however, 

 the quality, flavour and distinctive proper- 

 ties of the brandies made in the rest and 



