Indeed, it is well to submit it invariably to this process previously. Care must be taken to avoid shaking the cask, and so distributing the sediment during the operation. The remaining portion, which cannot be drawn off clear, should be strained through the " wine-bag" and then bottled as inferior wine. The corks should be of the best quality, and immediately before being placed in the bottles should be compressed by means of a cork-squeezer. They should also be coated with a wax, when inserted, in order to preserve the mouth of the bottle from moisture, insects, dm A good recipe for such wax is to mix and melt together the following substances :— Resinous pitch 1 kilo. I Tallow .. .. 100 grm.
Burg,undy „ .. 500 grm. Prussian red .. 125 „ The quantity so naade is sufficient to wax 300 bottles. In performing the operation, in order to avoid bursting the bottles, the mixture must be kept melted at a heat below its boiling point, and the necks of the bottles must be perfectly dry.
When the process is finished, the bottles should be stored in a cool cellar, and on no account placed in an upright position, or in damp straw, but on their sides, in sweet, dry sand or sawdust.
To give a wine sparkling properties, a few grains of white lump-sugar or of sugar candy may be introdueed in the bottles before finally stoppering. Champagne is invariably treated in this way in France. The sugar undergoes gradual fermentation during the sojourn of the wine in the bottle, and a quantity of carbonic acid ga,s is thus formed and held in solution until the bottle is opened, thus affording to it the agreeable briskness and creaminess, which are so much prized in sparkling wines.
1Vine-production.—Among the wine-producing countries of the whole world, France occupies the first place both for quantity and quality. In the year 1788, the total amount of space covered by the vine in that country was about 3,365,000 acres ; in 1829, it was estimated at 3,975,000 acres ; in 1849, at 5,482,000 acres ; in 1859, at 5,875,000 acres ; and in 1869, at 5,975,000 acres. At the present time, notwithstancling the loss of Alsace and Lorraine, the area covered by vineyards in France may be considered, in round numbers, 6,500,000 awes. These figures serve to show to what an enormous extent the cultivatioa of the grape has increased during the last century.
The departments in the south-east of France are admirably situate, as regards climate and soil, for the production of good wine; the produce of this region might be made equal in every respect, if not superior, to the wines of Beaujolais, Medoe, Hermitage, and Tokay. 'Unfortunately, however,
by much the larger portion of it is rendered inferior by adulteration and mixing. The principal wines of some of these departments are the following :—Herault—(red wines), Chuselan, Tavel, Saint Genies, Lirac, Ledelon, Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres, Cante-Perdrix ; (white wines), Froutignan, Lunel, Marseillan, Pommerols, Plaraussan. Pyrenees Orientales—(red wines), Bagnols, Coperous, Collioure, Torsenilla, Terrais ; (white wines), Rivesaltes. Basses Pyrenees—(both red and white), Jurancon, Clan. Vaucluse—(red wines), COteau-Brtild, Clos de la Berthe, Clos de Saint Patrice. Andes—(both red and white), Limaux. Alpes-Maritimes—Gaude, Cag,nes, Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Saint-Paul, Bellet. Basses-.Alpes—Dieee, Manosques, Valensalles.
The south-western district produces on an average 12,331,000 hectols of wine annually, and worth at the very least 406 millions of francs. The principal wines are :—Gironde—(red wines), Cles de Lafitte, Clos de Latour, Clos de Chateau-Margaux, Clos de Hautbrion, Clos de Rosan, Cles de Gorse, Clos Ldoville, Clos de Larose, Cles de Brane-Moutou, Cles Pie,hon-Longueville, Cles Calon, Pauillac, Pessac, Sainte-Estephe, Saint-Julien, Castelnau de Medoc, Cantons°, Talmo; COtes de Canon ; (white wines), Saint-Bris, Carbonieux, Ponta°, Sauternes, Barsac, Preignac, Beaumes, Langon, Cdrons, Pujols, Hats, Landiras, Virlade, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Loupiac. Laodes—(red wines), Cap-Breton, Soustons, Messauge, Vieux-Boicaud. Lot-et-Garonne—(white vvines), Claire°, Buzet. Dordogne--(red wines), La Terrasse, Pechermont, Des Paroles, Camprdal, Sainte-Fols-des-Vigues ; (white wines), Montbassillac, Saiut-Nessans, Sane& In the eastern district the chief wine-growing departments are the Jura, which produces the following white wines :—Arbois, Clahteau-Chalon, Pupillin, L'Etoile, Quintigny ; and the Drome— (red wines), Cote-de-rHernaitage, Croses, Merceurol, Gervant ; (white wines), Cote-de-l'Hermitage, Merceurol, Die, Vin de paille de l'Ilexmitage.
In the north-eastern district, the chief departnaents are :—Marne--(red wines), Verzy, Versenay, Mailly, Saint-Basle, Bousy, Clos Saint-Thierry ; (white wines), Le Closet, Sillery, Al, Mareuil,gaut villers, Pierry, Dissy, Cramant, Avize, Oger, Le Mesnil, Epernay, Taizy, Ludes, Chigny, Saone et-Loire—(red wines), Moulin-a-Vent, Therins, Cheuas, Fleury, Romaneche, La Chapelle Guinchet, Mercurey, Giary ; (white wines), Pouilly, Fuissey, Solutrd, Chaintrd.