169 / 290
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