Facts About Champagne and Other Sparkling WinesVizetelly, Henry
History
Facts About Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines
Vizetelly, Henry
Champagne (Wine); Sparkling wines; Wine and wine making
Proceeding thither, we find an elegant château with a charming terraced
garden, lying at the very foot of the vine-clad slopes, and on the
opposite side of the road some large celliers where wine in wood is
stored, and where the _cuvées_ of the firm, consisting usually of
upwards of 50,000 gallons each, are made in a vat of gigantic
proportions, furnished with a raised platform at one end for the
accommodation of the workman who agitates the customary paddles. When
the wine is completely blended it is drawn off into casks disposed for
the purpose in the cellar below, as shown in the accompanying engraving,
and after being fined it rests for about a month to clear itself. To
each of these casks of newly-blended wine a portion of old wine is added
separately, and at the moment of bottling the whole is newly
amalgamated.
Adjoining M. Deutz’s château is the principal entrance to the extensive
cellars of the firm, to which, at the time of our visit, considerable
additions were being made. In excavating a gallery the workmen commence
by rounding off the roof, and then proceed to work gradually downwards,
extracting the chalk, whenever practicable, in blocks suitable for
building purposes, which being worth from three to four shillings the
square yard help to reduce the cost of the excavation. When any serious
flaws present themselves in the sides or roof of the galleries, they are
invariably made good with masonry.
This range of cellars now comprises eight long and lofty galleries no
less than 17 feet wide, and the same number of feet in height, and of
the aggregate length of 2,200 yards. These spacious vaults, which run
parallel with each other, and communicate by means of cross passages,
underlie the street, the château, the garden, and the vineyard slopes
beyond, and possess the great advantage of being always dry. They are
capable, we were informed, of containing several million bottles of
champagne in addition to a large quantity of wine in cask.
Messrs. Deutz and Geldermann possess vineyards at Ay, and own a large
vendangeoir at Verzenay, where in good years they usually press 500
pièces of wine. They, moreover, make large purchases of grapes at Bouzy,
Cramant, Le Mesnil, Pierry, &c, and invariably have these pressed under
their own superintendence. Beyond large shipments to England, Messrs.
Deutz and Geldermann transact a considerable business with other
countries, and more especially with Germany, where their brand has been
for years one of the most popular, and is to-day the favourite at
numerous regimental messes and the principal hotels.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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