The Sparkling Wines of the Loire often palmed off as Champagnes-- The Finer qualities Improve with Age-- Anjou the Cradle of the Plantagenet Kings-- Saumur and its Dominating Feudal Château und Antique Hôtel de Ville-- Its Sinister Rue des Payens and Steep Tortuons Grande Rue-- The Vineyards of the Coteau of Saumur-- Abandoned Stone Quarries converted into Dwellings-- The Vintage in Progress-- Old-fashioned Pressoirs-- The Making of the Wine-- The Vouvray Vineyards-- Balzac’s Picture of La Vallée Coquette-- The Village of Vouvray and the Château of Moucontour-- Vernou with its Reminiscences of Sully and Pépin-le-Bref-- The Vineyards around Saumur-- Remarkable Ancient Dolmens-- Ackerman-Laurance’s Establishment at Saint-Florent-- Their Extensive Cellars, Ancient and Modern-- Treatment of the Newly-Vintaged Wine-- The Cuvée-- Proportions of Wine from Black and White Grapes-- The Bottling and Disgorging of the Wine and Finishing Operations-- The Château of Varrains and the Establishment of M. Louis Duvau aîné-- His Cellars a succession of Gloomy Galleries-- The Disgorging of the Wine accomplished in a Melodramatic-looking Cave-- M. Duvau’s Vineyard-- His Sparkling Saumur of Various Ages-- Marked Superiority of the more Matured Samples-- M. Alfred Ronsteaux’s Establishments at Saint-Florent and Saint-Cyr-- His convenient Celliers and extensive Cellars-- Mingling of Wine from the Champagne with the finer Sparkling Saumur-- His Vineyard at La Perrière-- M. E. Normandin’s Sparkling Sauternes Manufactory at Châteauneuf-- Angoulême and its Ancient Fortifications-- Vin de Colombar-- M. Normandin’s Sparkling Sauternes Cuvée-- His Cellars near Châteauneuf-- High recognition accorded to the Wine at the Concours Régional d’Angoulême 139 XIV.--THE SPARKLING WINES OF BURGUNDY AND THE JURA. Sparkling Wines of the Côte d’Or at the Paris Exhibition-- Chambertin, Romanée, and Vougeot-- Burgundy Wines and Vines formerly the Presents of Princes-- Vintaging Sparkling Burgundies-- Their After-Treatment in the Cellars-- Excess of Breakage-- Similarity of Proceeding to that followed in the Champagne-- Principal Manufacturers of Sparkling Burgundies-- Sparkling Wines of Tonnerre, the birthplace of the Chevalier d’Eon-- The Vin d’Arbanne of Bar-sur-Aube-- Death there of the Bastard de Bourbon-- Madame de la Motto’s Ostentatious Display and Arrest there-- Sparkling Wines of the Beaujolais-- The Mont-Bronilly Vineyards-- Ancient Reputation of the Wines of the Jura-- The Vin Jaune of Arbois beloved of Henri Quatre-- Rhymes by him in its Honour-- Lons-le-Saulnier-- Vineyards yielding the Sparkling Jura Wines-- Their Vintaging and Subsequent Treatment-- Their High Alcoholic Strength and General Drawbacks 157 XV.--THE SPARKLING WINES OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE.