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DRINKS.
69
and
stringing,
Imparts
the
rounds
shaped
top
peculiar
to
champagne
corks.
The
bottles,
after
being
corked
and
wired,
are
allowed
to
rest
for
two
or
three
months,
in
order
that
the
wine
and
the
liqueur
may
properly
amalgamate,
and
are
then
tinselled
and
labelled,
ready
for
the
consumer
;
but
some
of
the
best
wines
are
kept
for
years
to
mature,
and
are,
of
course,
of
far
higher
value.
A
sweet
Champagne
may
be
made
of
any
wine,
but
a
dry
Champagne
must
be
a
good
wine,
as,
if
it
is
not
sound,
its
acidity
is
detected
at
once
;
but
this
defect
would
be
hidden
by
the
liqueur
necessary
to
make
it
sweet.
At
Epernay,
the
bulk
of the
wine
is
not
so
good
as
that
coming
from
Reims,
and
sells
at
a
lower
price
;
but
there
are
firms
there
of
world-wide
note,
such
as
Moet
&
Chandon,
Perrier,
Joiiet
&
Co.,
Mennier
Freres,
Wachter
&
Co.,
etc.
Bordeaux
or
Claret.
In
England
we
generally
call
the
wines
coming
from
Bordeaux,
Clarets,
the
derivation
of
which
cognomen
is
somewhat
obscure
;
but
it
seems
almost
universally
accepted
that
it
comes
from
the
French
word
Clairety
which
is
used
even
at
the
present
time
as
a
generic
term
for
the
vins
ordinaires
of
a
light
and
thin
quality,
grown
in
the
south
of
France,
and
was
in
use
from
a
very
early
date.
The
old
French
poet,
Olivier
Basselin
(who
died
14
18
or
14
19),
sings
:
'^
Beau
nez,
dont
les
rubis
ont
coute
mainte
pipe
De
vin
blanc
et clairet
..."