Wines and Care of Wines

Grimod de la Reyniere has said that "No one ages at table;" he might have added, when the dinner is good and the wines are of the finest. Wine is the intellectual part of the meal and is to be served at a proper temperature in the order of the service, as will be explained further on. However, this is not an absolute rule; preference should be given to such and such a wine according to one's taste and according also to the influence it bears on one's health. This last point is easier to define for there can be no rule given regarding taste, as each individual sensation is apt to differ. Some prefer the keen savor of Bordeaux, others the delicate aroma of champagne; this one the warmth of the wines from Languedoc; another the exciting flavor of Burgundy. Tastes, for some reason or other, are formed on temperament; nature indicates and inspires in its very best way the proper method to follow for the good of our health. Sanguine temperaments feel the want of a light wine, such as champagne and Rhine wines; the phlegmatically inclined love the warmth of spirits, and the wines from Languedoc and Frontignon; gloomy dispositions crave for sweet Spanish, Italian, Roussillon and Burgundy wines; and those of a bilious nature, absorbed by the contention of their daily physical pain, require a stimulating wine such as Bordeaux. Bordeaux wine is generous, stomachic, easily digested, leaves the mouth clear and the head free, even when liberally drank. This wine can be transported to a great distance. Burgundy wine is aphrodaisical; it is extremely delicate and of a delightful aroma. Champagne wines are heady; they are limpid, light, odorous and unctuous. When champagne is frozen its effect is entirely changed; the temperature of the ice increases its tonic power and better contributes to the act of digestion, it condenses on the stomach and prevents the largest proportion from stimulating and rising to the brain. Frequently dinner parties are given when champagne alone is served. Champagne is not a natural wine, for on its preparation depends the superior qualities it is required to possess. Rhine wines are liked for the delightful mellowness of their flavor. They can support very long journeys, which instead of deteriorating only increases their value.

The Cellar.—Be very careful that the cellar is not exposed to sudden vibrations or shocks, or they will cause the lightest part of the dregs to arise, and when this mingles with the wine it produces sourness; also avoid placing any green wood in the cellar when the sap is ascending, or any vegetables, for these produce fermentation, impair the quality of the wine and prevent its preservation. Cellars should be kept very clean and at a temperature of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, without any thorough draught. In the warmest part of the cellar place the Bordeaux, and the Burgundy in the coldest.

Placing the Casks in the Cellar.—Before a cask of wine is placed in the cellar it should be thoroughly examined to see whether it be in good condition and the hoops perfectly solid. Stand the casks on wooden joists six to eight inches square, placed on bricks high enough so that a bottle can be set under the faucet; when in this position wedge each one separately with blocks of wood and be careful not to move or disturb the casks. When wines are required to be left in their barrels they should be placed sufficiently far apart to allow a free circulation between. Should the wines be of the present year the cask should be bored near the bung and the hole closed by a small plug removed from time to time so that the fermentation can be known. If, when the plug is taken out, the air comes whistling forth, then fermentation still exists; in this case remove the plug daily and at less frequent intervals as fermentation diminishes. Casks should always be refilled as quickly as they are emptied. Light wines spoil easily if their casks are not kept constantly full. The drier and more airy is the cellar the faster the barrels must be refilled. This should be done every month, and the wine used for refilling should be of exactly the same quality as that already contained therein; this alone will prevent it from deteriorating.