Sparkling Wines. 



157 



sential to its ripening process, and 

 with some wines it may be necessary 

 to rack them oftenor. His advice in 

 rule 5 we think will not hold good, as 

 nothing will clarify a turbid wine 

 sooner than racking it, and bringing 

 it in contact Avith the air. For the 

 same reason, we can not agree with 

 rules 6 and 7. We generally use the 

 rose of a watering pot in racking, if 



we have a wine which is particularly 

 obstinate. Xor can we agi'ee with 

 him when ho says that Nortons, Cyn- 

 thiana,Delaware, etc., contain less lees. 

 We know that they contain more, and 

 therefore need frequent rackings. But 

 we hope that the D'Heureuse air treat- 

 ment will obviate much of the trouble, 

 and give us thoroughly fined wines 

 within six months. — Editor.] 



SPAEKLING WINES. 



BY ISlDOIl liUSII, ST. LOUIS, JIISSOLRI . 



The carbonic gas which is com- 

 pressed hetween the wine and the cork 

 produces, by its expansion, (as soon as 

 you cut the wire which ties the cork) 

 that ^' pop " so favorably known ; and 

 the pearls thrown to the surface, the 

 pleasant, prickling taste is nothing- 

 else but the effect of the carbonic acid 

 which was absorbed by the wine, and 

 now, ascending, parts from it, to be 

 absorbed b}- the atmosphere. The 

 slower this separation takes place, 

 and the better the taste and flavor of 

 the wine, even alter such separation, 

 the better is its quality. 



Of late, spai'kling Avines are also 

 made in France and German}^ as well 

 as in the United States, by a much 

 shorter process; artificial!}' impreg- 

 nating the wine with carbonic acid, 

 in the same manner as our imitation 

 mineral watei's are made. These wines 

 are also very pleasant and sparkling ; 

 they ai'e moreover not merely a harm- 

 less but quite a healthy beverage, if 

 properly made. They can not com- 

 pare, however, with real sparkling 

 wines in which the carbonic acid has 



{Concluded.') 



naturally produced itself during fer- 

 mentation. 



Hundred thousands of cases of 

 sparkling wine thus manufactured 

 have been made and sold in New York 

 City, with labels imitating Heid- 

 sieck's, Mumm's and other favorite 

 French brands. And we owe it to the 

 stringent regulations of the Internal 

 Revenue system, which imposes the 

 heavy tax of fifty cents gold on each 

 and every bottle of '' Champagne," 

 whether imported or not, and only 

 so labeled; while the American wine, 

 whether sparkling or not, is free, that 

 this fraud has ceased. 



Now, this class of champagnes is 

 sold as '* California Sparkling," being 

 generally manufactured of California 

 wines which are cheaper and more 

 alcoholic, and therefore specially 

 adapted. And except the sparkling 

 wines of Mr. Landsberger at San 

 Francisco, all our present '^Califor- 

 nia Sparkling Wines" are made by 

 this new quick method. 



But at the same time American en- 

 terprise has succeeded also in produ- 



