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CHAMPAGNES.
One of the many interesting features of Champagne
is that although a white wine it is made largely from
black grapes. The grapes are pressed as soon as
they are picked, in such a way as to separate the
juice from the skins, which latter contain the
colouring matter, and the juice is immediately run
off into large fermenting vats, and thence into casks.
Fermentation begins at once, and transforms the
sugar of the grape juice into alcohol and carbonic
acid gas. The result is the alcohol remains in the
wine, while the carbonic acid gas loses itself in the
air. To retain part of this carbonic acid gas in the
wine is the chief feature of the art of making
" Sparkling Wine." This is effected by bottling the
wine at an early date, namely in the springtime
following the vintage. Fermentation continues
within the bottle, and as the carbonic acid gas is
unable to escape, it remains in solution with the
wine and renders it " Sparkling."
There is thus caused a certain amount of sediment
in the wine, which is removed by stacking the
bottles neck downwards, which are shaken daily
for some two months or so, when the time comes to
operate the wine for export, until the whole of the
deposit settles on the cork. The deposit is sub
sequently ejected from the bottle, and the necessary
sweetening matter, namely a small quantity of
candy sugar dissolved in Champagne of the best
quality, is added. This process is called " dis
gorging." One method of doing so is by a process
of freezing the deposit to the cork and removing the
cork and sediment in one frozen unit.
A new cork is then placed in the bottle, and the
Champagne is ready for consumption.