The Pytchley book of refined cookery and bills of fare

or two, or three, or even a bottle now and then won’t hurt you, and you will not require the said Cornet's breakfast. Avoid as poison all brandies and whiskies and sodas after having drank sufficient wine. These are what ruin the health of and kill thousands every year. Thirdly. — Get the best wine you can, and keep it ; this applies to all wines if good and sound when laid down. Deal with one wine merchant, and so make it worth his while to supply you well, and if you have a good cellar and can afford to buy the best, lay down in a good year sufficient to last you for six or seven years ; there is seldom a good vintage more frequently. Many people think Champagne does not improve by keeping. No wine improves more. This was impressed on my memory some years ago by the remarks of an old friend of mine noted for his wine, to a young guest who condescended to approve of the Champagne, and say he had never tasted any like it. “ It ought to be good, I have had it twenty years," and on the guest saying he did not know Champagne improved by keeping, received the rejoinder, “You have a good deal to learn." Fourthly. — Do not decant more wine than you think will be consumed. No wine, except Sherry, is drinkable the second day, and Claret is simply ink. Fifthly. — Do not leave wine in cases. Unpack it as soon as it arrives and put it in bins, so that you can see if it leaks. This applies more especially to Cham- pagne, and it is the very wine which some people keep in cases. It is the greatest error in judgment, as if it leaks it should be dipped in wax at once. I am indebted to Messrs. Maxwell & Keys, of James Street, Haymarket, for this information. ON DECANTING. All old wine should be decanted. Having laid down the best wines, the greatest care should be taken to pro- duce them at the table at a proper temperature and WINES AND THEIR SERVICE. 259 properly decanted, and I would most strongly advise every one who has really good old wine to obtain wine baskets, and a “ decanting machine with screw movement on wood block ” and a lever corkscrew from Farrow & Jackson in the Haymarket, and having obtained them proceed as follows : Put as many bottles as are likely to be consumed in the decanting baskets, taking great care that the side on which they lay in the bin is down- wards. Place the bottle which is to be decanted very steadily into the decanting machine, draw the cork without the slightest jerk or movement, and with a damp cloth wipe the mouth of the bottle. Place a light either under or by the side of the bottie so that you can see the moment the slightest cloud appears ; screw the lever very gradually until three parts of the bottle is decanted, when remove the decanter, and decant the remainder into wine-glasses ; so long as no cloud appears and the wine is quite fine, add the wine-glasses to the bottle, the moment the cloud appears add no more — half a glass will spoil the whole bottle. How often we hear, “ This is an excellent bottle,” and the next not quite the same, especially in Claret ; the real truth being that the ignorant or the careless servant, or still more ignorant or obstinate host, has jumbled the whole thing up, and spoilt in five minutes wine which has been taken the greatest care of for twenty years.