12 / 176
must
be
got
rid
of.
This
is
effected
by
two
operations.
These
are
the
"mise
sur
pointe"
and
the
"disgorgement."
THE
MISE
SUR
POINTE
The
bottles
are
placed
head
downward
through
an
inclined
plank
pierced
with
holes
at
an
angle
of
70
degrees.
Every-
day
for
at
least
three
months
a
cellarman,
specially
trained
for
this
kind
of
work,
shakes
the
bottles
lightly
against
the
plank with
a
wrist
movement
quick
and
sharp.
The
deposit
slowly
descends
and
collects
on
the
cork.
THE
DISGORGEMENT
The
deposit,
having
settled
on
the
cork,
is
now
ready
to
be
extracted.
To
do
this
the
bottle
is
first
placed
head
downward,
to
a
depth
of
three
inches,
in
a
refrigerating
bath.
Under
the action
of
the
cold,
the
deposit
congeals
in
the
neck
of
the
bottle.
The
cellarman
then
takes
the
bottle
out
of
the
bath,
holds
it
upright,
undoes
the
clasp
and
eases
the
cork,
which
the
pressure
of
the
carbonic
gas
inside
eventually
forces
out
with
a
loud
report,
together
with
the
deposit.
The
wine
is
then
absolutely
clear.
THE
LIQUEURING
After
disgorging,
the
wine
has
not
the
least
taste
of
sugar,
the
sugar
added
at
bottling
having
been
completely
trans-
formed
into
alcohol
and
carbonic
acid.
Whilst
in
this
state
the
wine
is
known
as
"brut."
To
regulate
it
to
the
client's
taste,
which
varies
in
different
countries,
a
certain
quantity
of
liqueur,
composed
of
sugar
candy
and
wine
from
the
finest
Champagne
vineyards,
is
added
immediately
after
the
dis-
gorging.
THE
CORKING
For
corking,
the
best
Spanish
corks
are
used
and
are
held
in
by
either
string
and
wire
or
wire
muzzle,
according
to
the
custom
of
each
house.
Finally
the
capsule
and
label
are
put
on
and
the
bottles
are
packed
in
cases
or
baskets
ready
for
shipment.
The
cellars
are
located
at
Rheims,
Epernay,
Ay,
Avize,
etc.,
and
are
well
worth
seeing.
ALWAYS
A
LUXURY
True
champagne
can
never
be
other
than
a
luxury,
from
the
cost
of
cultivation,
the
care
in
making,
the
long
period
elapsing
before
the
wine
has
reached
maturity
and
principallv
because
of
the
limited
area
in
which
it
can
be
produced.
The
loss
from
leakage
and
breakage
is
enormous,
owing
to
the
pressure
upon
the
bottle,
and
difficulty
of
transportation.
10