The districts of the Beaujolais, Maconnais, and the Chalon Me are situated in the higher parts of the valleys of the tributaries of the Rhone, particularly the Saline. The high Beaujolais consists of the cantons of Beaujeu and Belleville, where the best vine yards are met with. The low Beaujolais produces a greater quantity of wine, but of a less distinguished quality. The prevailing vines are the Petit Gamay and the Gamay Nicolas. The Maconnais district includes the vineyards of Th °ens and the Romaneche, which produce the finest class of wine, the vineyard of St. Amour, Davaye, Pouilly, the whole district n. of Macon, and the canton of Lugny. Formerly the Pineau known under the name of Bourguinon was the exclusive vine of the distinguished growths; but this has almost entirely disappeared, and given place to the Gamay. The wine of Macon of cheap quality is mostly sold in Paris, Lyons, and Geneva. The better Macon wine is sometimes carried into the Bourgogne to be sold as wine of that country. The best wines of the Cote of Chalon are obtained on the incline which commences n. of Chalon, runs throyrgiOvry, and then loses itself in the Maconnais. Ordinarily only common wines are produced in the Ciite of Chalon district. The better qualities have much likeness to the half fine wines and great ordinaires of the Cote d'Or, but they are less marrowy and have a less free taste. Burgundy is probably the oldest wine-grow ing country in central Europe, and that part which produces the best wines of this department has been called by the French Cote d'Or or "golden-hill-side." This is formed by a series of hills about thirty-six miles in length, which stretch from Chalon on the the SaOne to Dijon, in the direction of mn.e. to s.s. w., their cultivated inclin ation and exposure being consequently towards the east. The black grape peculiar to the Bourgogne, the Pineau or Noirien, is the dominating vine along the Cote. Another variety which frequently occurs in Burgundy is a light red one called Beurot, known in Germany as Rulander. Of white grapes there is the Chardenay, yielding among others the celebrated wine of Chablis. The best wines of Burgundy are distinguished by the suavity of their taste, their fineness, and spirituous aroma. The first growths of red wine are Romanee Conti, Charnbertin, Richebourg, Clos Vougeot, Roman& de St. Vivant, Tache, Clos St. Georges, and Corton. in the department of the Cote d'Or. The second class diffsir but little from those of the first, and generally take their place in commerce; this class includes the vineyards of Vosne, Nuits, Premeau, Chambolle, Volnay, Pommard, Beaume, Morey, Saviguy, Meursault, and others. Of the white wines the most celebrated are those of Montrachet, uniting body and strength with great fineness and bouquet.
The Champagne is an ancient province of France, situated under the 47th, 48th, and 49th degrees of latitude. At the division of France into departments it was cut up into four parts, which were respectively united with the departments of the Ardennes, the Marne, the Upper Marne, and the Aube. The wine to which this district owes its repu tation is obtained not in all these departments, but only in that of the Marne, which includes the prefectures of Chalons-sur-Marne, Epernay, Rheims, Saint Menehould, and Vitry-sur-Marne. These districts contain 19,589 hectares of vineyards, which are situ
ated on the territories of 453 communities and belong to 27,018 proprietors. An average vintage produces about 700,000 hectolitres. Of this, more than a quarter is drunk by the inhabitants themselves. Good wine, however, is produced only by the prefectures of Rheims and flpernay, and the manufactories of Champagne are obliged to draw their main supplies from them. The dominating vines in the Champagme are the black grape called plant dor& which is the same as the black Burgundy, and the meunier or miller. Another vine which occurs here and there is the marmot vert, identical with the elbing of the Moselle and the goix d'Orleans. The character of the effervescent champagne wines is derived mainly from the black Burgundy grape, with which in good years is mixed a certain quantity of the white Burgundy. '1 he still champagnes are made—the red varieties from the black Burgundy only, and the white varieties from the white Burgundy only. Of the bottled wines which are produced in the Champagne, four varieties have to be distinguished. Champagne non mousseux is wine which has been fully fermented, fined, drawn into bottles, stopped in the usual manner of the mousseux wines, tied, and allowed to rest a long time. Champagne eremant forms a slight cream of effervescent bubbles upon its surface when it is poured into a glass. Champagne mousseux, when opened, projects the cork with an audible report and begins to rise gently over the margin of the bottle. Champagne grand mousseux projects the cork with a loud report, and immediately overflows from the bottle.
The wines of the Champagne are light, fine, and delicate; they are very heady, but the exhilaration produced by them does not last long, and they are mostly wholesome. Of superior white wines are the dry Sillery grown at Ludes, Mailly, Verzenay, and Verzy; the_soft wines of Ay, Mareuil, Dissy, Pierry, Hautvilliers, and the vineyard of Clozet, at Epernay; they are distinguished for their lightness, delicacy, and agreeable taste. Next to these range the red wines of Verzy, Verzenay, Mailly, St. Basle, Bourzy, and Clos de St. Thierry in the Marne department.
The wines of the valleys of the Loire and Charente extend from the neighborhood of Orleans through an enormous plain towards Blois, and thence towards Angouleme and Poictiers, and further towards the Charente, into the district of Cognac. The vines most common in that district are the meunier or miller, the teinturier or dyer, and the auvernat noir. The best cognac is made from white varieties of vines. namely, the Folle blanche, the Boillot, the Blanc dour, Colombar, Sauvignon, and St. Pierre. Sometimes red grapes are taken for distillation, but their spirit does not possess the soft and agree able properties which are peculiar to that obtained from white grapes. The varieties cultivated for red wine are Balsac, Maroquin, and Degoutant. The quantity of brandy produced in the Charente is about 180,000,hectolitres. France, although on the whole it produces few liqueur wines, yields a quantity-of very good wines, which bear com parison with most of those of other countries. Of the finer quality are those of Eons sillon, Dauphine, and Languedoc. See BORDEAUX, BURGUNDY WLNES, CHAMPAGNE WINE, and WixE, ante.