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
At Messrs. Moët & Chandon's we had the opportunity of inspecting some
of the old account-books of the firm, and more particularly those
recording the transactions of Jean Remi Moët and his father. The first
sales of sparkling wine, on May 23d, 1743, comprised 301 bottles of the
vintage of 1741 to Pierre Joly, wine-merchant, _bon des douze chez le
Roi_, whatever that may mean, at Paris; 120 bottles to Pierre Gabriel
Baudoin, also _bon des douze_, at Paris; and a similar quantity to the
Sieur Compoin, keeping the 'hotellerie ditte la pestitte Escurie,' Rue
du Port-Maillart, at Nantes in Brittany. The entry specifies that the
wine for Nantes is to be left at Choisy-le-Roi, and taken by land to
Orleans by the carters of that town, who are to be found at the Ecu
d'Orléans, Porte St. Michel, Paris, the carriage as far as Choisy being
4 livres 10 deniers (about 4 francs) for the two half-baskets, and to
Paris 3 livres 15 deniers the basket.
Between 1750 and '60 parcels of wine were despatched to Warsaw, Vienna,
Berlin, Königsberg, Dantzig, Stettin, Brussels, and Amsterdam; but
one found no mention of any sales to England till the year 1788, when
the customers of the firm included 'Milord' Farnham, of London, and
Messrs. Felix Calvert & Sylvin, who had a couple of sample-bottles
sent to them, for which they were charged five shillings. In the
same year Messrs. Carbonnell, Moody, & Walker (predecessors of the
well-known existing firm of Carbonnell & Co.) wrote in French for two
baskets, of ten dozens each, of _vin de Champagne_ 'of good body,
not too charged with liqueur, but of excellent taste, and not at all
sparkling.' The Chevalier Colebrook, writing from Bath, also requests
that 72 bottles of Champagne may be sent to his friend the Hon. John
Butler, Molesworth-street, Dublin, 'who, if contented with the wine,
will become a good customer, he being rich, keeping a good house, and
receiving many amateurs of _vin de Champagne_.' Shortly afterwards the
Chevalier himself receives 50 bottles of still wine, vintage 1783. In
1789 120 bottles of Champagne, vintage 1788, are supplied to 'Milord'
Findlater, of London; and in 1790 the customers of the house include
Power & Michel, of 44 Lamb-street, London, and Manning, of the St.
Alban Tavern, the latter of whom is supplied on March 30th with 130
bottles of Champagne at three livres, or two 'schillings,' per bottle;
while a month later Mr. Lockart, banker, of 36 Pall Mall, is debited
with 360 bottles, vintage 1788, at three shillings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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