1953 The U K B G Guide to Drinks

WINES OF FRANCE

the Pinot Meunier and the Pinot Blanc, commonly called the Chardonnay. This means that Champagne, whilst a white \vine, comes from both black and white grapes. There is also a Rose type and also a white Champagne produced exclusively from White grapes alone called "Blanc de Blancs", meaning the White of the ^Vhites. These latter two are little known in this country, but do exist. To get white wne from the black or red grapes,the juice of the grape when pressed is run off from the skins which are kept apart during fermentation,thus no colouring from the pigment of the skins is allowed contact with the juice, resulting in a white ^vine. The vines are grown from seed, and are carefully tended until they are large enough to be grafted on to American briar stock, in the same manner as a hj^brid rose is grafted on to a hardy stock to produce beautiful roses. This American stock is proof against the dreaded disease of Phylloxera, which attacks the roots of the vine and destroys whole vine3'^ards. The plants when ready are planted out about 8,000 plants per hectare (about 2i English acres). The plants do not produce grapes fit for the production of champagne for five years, during which time they are tended carefully and together with the older plants are sprayed and manured frequently'. The grapes, when gathered, are quickly transported to one of the commercial centres, where the shippers have their huge mechanical presses and cellars. After fermentation, the wines are racked, fined and blended. Champagne is not the product of any one vineyard, but is a blend of many different vineyards, some belonging to the shippers themselves, others to individual growers or vignerons. After blending in huge vats, a syrup of candy and wine is added to produce a secondary fermentation, and the wine is then bottled in very strong bottles in order to withstand the pressure of COjthat is produced inside them. The wine is then corked and the neck of the bottle is 169