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<< previous... Ay, the Vineyard of Golden Plants-Summoning the Vintagers by Beat of Drum-Excitement in the Surrounding Villages-The Pickers at Work-Sorting the Grapes-Grapes Gathered at Sunrise the Best-Varieties of Vines in the Ay Vineyards-Few of the Growers in the Champagne Crush their own Grapes-Squeezing the Grapes in the "Pressoir" and Drawing off the Must-Cheerful Glasses Round-The Vintage at Mareuil-Bringing in the Grapes on Mules and Donkeys-The Vineyards of Avenay, Mutigny, and Cumières-Damery and Adrienne Lecouvreur, Maréchal de Saxe, and the obese Anna Iwanowna-The Vineyards of the Côte d'Epernay-Boursault and its Château-Pierry and its Vineyard Cellars-The Clos St. Pierre-Moussy and Vinay-A Hermit's Cave and a Miraculous Fountain-Ablois St. Martin-The Côte d'Avize-The Grand Premier Crû of Cramant-Avize and its Wines-The Vineyards of Oger and Le Mesnil-The Old Town of Vertus and its Vine-clad Slopes-Their Red Wine formerly celebrated.

With the exception of certain famous vineyards of the Rhône, the vinelands of the Champagne may, perhaps, be classed among the most picturesque of the more notable vine districts of France. Between Paris and Epernay even, the banks of the Marne present 21 a series of scenes of quiet beauty. The undulating ground is everywhere cultivated like a garden. Handsome châteaux and charming country houses peep out from amid luxuriant foliage. Picturesque antiquated villages line the river's bank or climb the hill sides, and after leaving La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, the cradle of the Condés, all the more favoured situations commence to be covered with vines. This is especially the case in the vicinity of Château-Thierry-the birthplace of La Fontaine-where the view is shut in on all sides by vine-clad slopes, which the spring frosts seldom spare. Hence merely one good vintage out of four gladdens the hearts of the peasant proprietors, who find eager purchasers for their produce among the lower-class manufacturers of champagne. In the same way the petit vin de Chierry, dexterously prepared and judiciously mingled with other growths, often figures as "Fleur de Sillery" or "Ay Mousseux." In reality it is not until we have passed the ornate modern Gothic château of Boursault, erected in her declining years by the wealthy Veuve Clicquot, by far the shrewdest manipulator of the sparkling products of Ay and Bouzy of her day, and the many towers and turrets of which, rising above umbrageous trees, crown the loftiest height within eyeshot of Epernay, that we find ourselves within that charmed circle of vineyards whence champagne-the wine, not merely of princes, as it has been somewhat obsequiously termed, but essentially the vin de société-is derived. ... next >>