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I
The
total
annual
production
of
wine
in
the
United
States
now
amounts
to
about
35,000,000
gallons.
"VINTAGES"
The
most
appreciated
vintage
wines
now
in
the
market
are
1898
(a
very
limited
quantity
available),
1900
and
1904.
The
vintage
of
1906
is
not
yet
generally
marketed,
but
it
will
be
much
appreciated.
At
the
moment,
for
any
event,
the
dis-
criminator
can
make
no
error
in
the
selection
of
"Brut
1900"
or
"Brut
1904,"
for,
while
the
Cuvee
of
these
years
was
not
large,
the
wine
is
exquisite
in
its
maturity.
True
champagne
is
naturally
effervescent
—
the
sparkle
and!
brilliancy
due
to
a
naturally
generated
carbonic
acid
gas.
Still
wines
may
be
charged
with
gas,
imitating
champagne,
but
the
result
is
never
satisfactory.
It
is
this
method
which
has
been
responsible
for
the
delimitation
of
the
district
from
which
wines
may
be
shipped
as
"Champagne,"
the
French
Government
permitting
the
use
of
the
word
Champagne
only
on
wine
produced
naturally
in
the
Department
of
the
Marne.
Wine
of
the
Department
of
the
Aube
may
be
labelled
"Champagne
of
the
Second
Zone."
The
total
area
now
under
cultivation
to
produce
true
Champagne,
under
prescribed
regulation
is
only
about
37,000
acres.
Contrary
to
the
general
understanding
Champagne
is
produced
principally
from
black
grapes.
THE
CUV2E
During
the
spring
the
merchant
makes
the
"Cuvee,"
which
is
the
assembling
of
a
number
of
wines
in
one
blend;
depending
upon
the
business
of
the
merchant
it
may
be
a
few
or
many
thousand
bottles
and
until
finally
disposed
of
is
known
as
the
"Special
Cuvee"
of
the
year
of
blending.
"Vintage
years"
are
the
years
of
especially
fine
crops
and
in
such
years
the
Cuvee
is
made
as
large
as
proper
qualities
permit.
The
making
of
the
Cuvee
is
the
most
delicate
operation
in
the
profession,
requiring
exquisite
judgment
in
the
selection
of
the
wines
to
be
blended
to
produce
the
perfect
Cuvee,
a
definite
result
being
obtained only
after a
period
of
years
as
the
wine
rounds
out
in
maturity
in
the
bottle.
BOTTLING
By
the
aid
of
mechanical
apparatus
the
wine,
to
which
is
added
a
certain
quantity
of
cane
sugar,
is
put
into
new
and
carefully
rinsed
out
bottles;
these
are
corked
and
the
cork
held
in
by
means
of
an
iron
clasp.
The
bottles
are
immediately
stored
on
their
sides
in
immense
cellars,
hewn
from
solid
chalk.
SERVING
The
process
of
uncorking
this
wine
is
often
grossly
mis-
managed.
The
cork
should
be
slowly
and
noiselessly^
ex-
tracted
after,
first
the
wire,
and
then
the
string,
are
entirely
8