A History of Champagne, with Notes on the Other Sparkling Wines of FranceVizetelly, Henry
History
A History of Champagne, with Notes on the Other Sparkling Wines of France
Vizetelly, Henry
Champagne (Wine) -- History; Wine and wine making -- France
The first of these bas-reliefs represents two soldiers of the Swiss
guard, the next a Turk and Slav tilting at each other, and then
comes a scroll entwined round a thistle, and inscribed with this
enigmatical motto: 'Giane le sur ou rien.' In the third bas-relief a
couple of passionate Italians are winding up a gambling dispute with a
hand-to-hand combat, in the course of which table and cards have got
canted over; the fourth presents us with two French knights, armed
_cap-à-pie_, engaged in a tourney; while in the fifth and last a couple
of German lansquenets essay their gladiatorial skill with their long
and dangerous weapons. Several years back a tablet was discovered in
one of the cellars of the house, inscribed 'Ci-gist vénérable religieux
maistre Pierre Derclé, docteur en théologie, jadis prieur de céans.
Priez Dieu pour luy. 1486,' which would almost indicate that the house
had originally a religious character, although the warlike spirit of
the bas-reliefs decorating it renders any such supposition with regard
to the existing building untenable. We should mention that the spaces
above the _porte cochère_, and the window by its side, are occupied
by four medallions, which present that curious mingling of classic
and contemporary styles for which the epoch of the Renaissance was
remarkable.
[Illustration: MEDALLIONS FROM MADAME CLICQUOT'S HOUSE.]
The Messrs. Werlé own numerous acres of vineyards, comprising the very
finest situations in the well-known districts of Verzenay, Bouzy, Le
Mesnil, and Oger, at all of which places they have vendangeoirs or
pressing-houses of their own. Their establishment at Verzenay contains
seven presses, that at Bouzy eight, at Le Mesnil six, and at Oger two,
in addition to which grapes are pressed under their own supervision at
Ay, Avize, and Cramant, in vendangeoirs belonging to their friends.
Since the death of Madame Clicquot the legal style of the firm has
been 'Werlé & Co., successors to Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin,' the
mark, of which M. Werlé and his son are the sole proprietors, still
remaining 'Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin,' while the corks of the bottles
are branded with the words 'V. Clicquot-P. Werlé,' encircling the
figure of a comet. The style of the wine--light, delicate, elegant, and
fragrant--is familiar to all connoisseurs of Champagne. What, however,
is not equally well known is that within the last few years the firm,
in obedience to the prevailing taste, have introduced a perfectly dry
wine of corresponding quality to the richer wine which made the fortune
of the house, and gave enduring fame to the Clicquot brand.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: THE PLACE ROYALE AT REIMS.]
VII.
/Reims and its Champagne Establishments/ _(continued)_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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