136 
Haute-Marne, has been long celebrated 
as the vineyard of France. 
There are two kinds of wines which dis- 
tinguish this district. 
White wines: called Riviere de Marne 
wines. . 
Red wines: 
Rheims wines. 
The white wines are produced from 
vineyards situated in the valleys and upon 
the sides of the hills in-Epernay, Dizy, 
Avenay, Cramant, Lemesnil, Monthelon, 
Chouilly, Moussy, &c.: but in conse- 
quence of one of those varieties of nature, 
for which we cannot always account, the 
estate of Cumieres, in the midst of so 
“many vineyards celebrated for white 
wines, and under the same exposure, 
produces red wines only, and of aquality 
far superior to the above wines. 
Among all the vmeyards on the river 
Marue, the cantons of Hautvillers, Ma- 
reuil, Cumieres, and Epernay, are the 
most advantageously sitnated: they ex- 
tend along the river Marne, with this dis- 
tinetion, that the quality of the wine falls 
off in proportion as the vineyard 1s distant 
from the river: for this reason Hautvillers 
und Ay havealways enjoyed a preference 
over Epernay and Pierry; and the latter 
over Cramant, Lemesii, &c. and these 
last over Monthelon, Moussy, &c. 
South exposures produce upon the 
banks of the Marne excellent white wines, 
but their declivities and posterior parts, 
whichare called the mountains of Rheims, 
although situated in general towards the 
north, and almost always to the east, also 
yield red wines of a good quality, and of 
a fine taste and aromatic flavour. 4 
The slope which overhangs Rheims 1s 
divided aecording to the quality of its 
wines; hence we have wines of the moun- 
tain, of the lower mountam, and of the 
estate St. ‘Phierry. 
The mountain comprehends Verzy, St. 
Basle, Verznay, Mailly, Taissy, Ludes; 
Chigny, Rilly, and Villers-Allerand; and 
among these vineyards, the most esteemed 
are Verzy, Verziay, and Mailly. The 
rest, although very good, are of a differ- 
ent quality. 
The vineyard of Bouzy, which termi- 
nates the chain or the horizon between 
south and east, and which, therefore, be- 
- Jongs te the two divisions, ought not to be 
omitted. It produces excellent, fine, and 
delicate red wines, which, from its expo- 
sure, participate in the good qualities of 
Werznay aud the good red wines of La 
Biarne. 
called Montagne de 
4 
Vineyards and Wines of Champagne in France. [March }, 
The lower mountain comprehends a 
great quantity of vineyard countries ; 
among which we may distinguish Cha- 
mery, Eeueil, and Ville Demange: this 
last place in particular, when the season 
is good, yields wine which will keep for 
ten or twelve years. 
The lower mountain extends to the 
banks of the river Aisne. As the wines 
it produces are of a middling quality, it 
scarcely requires to be particularized, 
The district of Saint Thierry, com- 
prehends a large extent of grounds, 
containing large vineyards, such as Saint 
Thierry, ‘Trigny, Chenay, Villefranquex, 
Douillon, Hermonville, which produce 
very agreeablered wines of a pale colour, 
very much in request ameng the dealers. 
But the wine properly called Clos 
Saint Thierry, and coming from the arch- 
bishopric of [heims, is the only wine 
which unitesthe rich colour and flavour of 
Burgundy to the sparkling lightness of 
Champagne, ClosSaint Thierry, holds the - 
same rank among Champagne wines, that 
Clos-vougeot does among those of Bur- 
gundy. gh ih 
In the enumeration of the vineyards of 
the mountain, some readers may perhaps 
expect to find Si//ery mentioned, once so 
remarkable for red and white wines : the 
truth 1s, that Silery wine ism a great 
measure composed of the wines produced 
inthe territories of Verznay, Mailly, and 
Saint Basle, once made, by a particular 
process, by the marechale d’ Estrées, and 
for this reason long known by the name 
of Vins dela Marechale. At the revolu- 
tion this estate was divided, and sold to 
different rich proprietors of Rheims: the 
senator of Valencia, however, the heir to. 
a great part of this vineyard, neglects ne 
means of restoring Sillery to its former re- 
putation. . bt 
Series of Questions put by M. Chaptal, 
with ther Answers. 
I, Which is the most advantageous E.xcpo- 
: sure for the Vine? 
The most advantageous exposure for 
the vine is, without contradiction, the 
south and the east; butit has been ascer- 
tained that certainadvantages of soil and 
the nature of the plant must also concur: 
otherwise various districts, such as Da- 
mery, Vanteuil, Reuil, &c. withthe same 
exposure and climate, and also watered 
by the Marne, would enjoy the same ce- 
lebrity as Cumieres, Hautvillers, and Ay. 
It must be confessed that the former dis- 
tricts preduce inferior kinds of wine; but 
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