TASTES IN WINE. 85 



7 per cent., and the Austrians and Russians, who chiefly 

 consume "Madame CHcquots" and " Roederers," .have 

 even more. 



The Americans, liking their champagne rather sweet, 

 prefer Piper's wines. The chief firms who ship to 

 Enghand, and whose wines are in the highest repute, 

 are Perrier Jouet, Pommery, Heidseck, Ernest Irroy, 

 Giesler, Lanson, Ayala, Jules Mumm, and Pol Roger ; 

 but Moet's has by far the largest consumption in 

 England, and their "Brut Imperial" is equal to any 

 of the most noted shippers. Many manufacturers of 

 champagne are not growers ; they are purchasers of the 

 wine of the farmers in the various districts, manipulating 

 them according to the tastes of their customers. ]\Iessrs. 

 Simon and Kingscote, the representatives of Messrs. 

 Moet and Chandon in England, import enormots 

 quantities, almost reaching a million bottles per annum. 

 A propos of sweet and dry wine, 1 cannot forbear giving 

 old Mr. Moet's opinion on the subject. I remarked '* that 

 the English people thought the champagne shipped to 

 this country was too sweet, and that we should like it as 

 they drink it in France." "Ah!" said he, " that is a 

 great mistake ; you English are the driest people in the 

 world. The Russians are the sweetest, next to them 

 Prussians, then the PVench and Belgians, then the 

 Americans, and you English the driest." 



With regard to the addition of the liqueur, he said, 

 " What do you do with your strawberries ? You add a 

 little sugar, it brings out the flavour of the strawberry ; 

 you take the melon on your plate, you shake a little 

 sugar over it, and it brings out the flavour of the melon ; 



