Bordeaux clarets, when unadulterated, are delicate,
and are consumed in great quantity. Lafitte, Latour,
Haut-Brion, and Chateau Margaux ere among the
popular brands, but there are a hundred and one varie-
ties that are passing good. Good claret has a remarkable
freshness of taste and smell. Many of them come, in
France, under the head of '' vin ordinaire'' but are by
no means to be despised. Indeed, in the Quartier Latin
in Paris there are scores of restaurants where the vin
ordinaire at one or two sous a glass is drunk and en-
joyed by the students of all nations with equal jouis-
sance. Ordinarily it is mixed with water, either plain
or mineral. For twenty-five centimes, or five cents, a
pint bottle may be had, and no dejeuner or diner is
complete without this, at least, provided one's pocket-
book will not admit of a better wine.
Champagnes — " king's wine " — are of several varie-
ties : the still or " non-mousseux," the effervescing or
" mousseux," and the " grand-Mousseux " or highly
effervescent. Champagne is an enduring wine, with
a " bouquet exquis/' The creaming champagne of the
A'l sends up myriad bubbles, but never froths, and is
preferred by those of discriminating taste to that which
is frothy. Cheap champagnes are most injurious to
the stomach, and have none of the qualities of the
better classes. Champagne, once received, should never
173
A BACHELOR'S CUPBOARD
Correct Wines for all Occasions
be moved until it is wanted for table use. Great heat
or cold is unfavorable in keeping it, and the tempera-
ture should be carefully attended to.
Sauternes, wines of the Gironde, are white wines
of considerable repute. They are bottled from the
wood after seven or eight years, and are excellent
dinner wines, particularly the Haut Sauterne. It ^s
advisable in purchasing Sauterne to get that of the
best quality.
Sweet whines or dessert wines are not so much drunk
as formerly, liqueurs being substituted for these '' vins
de liqueurs," as the French term them. The Musca-
dines, Frontignacs, and Lunals of the south of France,
Lachryma Christi of Naples, sweet Syracuse and
Cyprus, made between Paphos, Olympus, and Limasol,
w^here is the great wine mart, are favorite sweet wines.
It is not every bachelor who can boast a wine cellar ;
indeed, save for one possessed of more than ordinary
wealth, a cellar is an expensive luxury. The bachelor
of Gray's Inn stored his wine under his bed, ** because
it would be drunk fast." A Devonshire esquire who
loved wine " better than anything but his horse,"
stowed his wines in a corner cupboard near his spa-
cious fireplace, w^ith dire result; and a Scot who pur-
chased a dozen bottles of choice vintage cellared them
in a cock-loft for a special evening at home with
friends. When evening was advanced, not dreaming
that his dozen were drunk out, he called his Jeannie
to bring ** another bottle of No. 5." *' I wonder what
174
A BACHELOR'S CUPBOARD
Correct Wines for all Occasions
ye mean!" retorted Jeannie in surprise. ''I ha'
fetched down from the cock-loft the last bottle of the
dozen ye had, an' ye maun noo go tae the whuskey."
Page 71
Presented as published in 1906. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Bordeaux clarets, when unadulterated, are delicate, and are consumed in great quantity. Lafitte, Latour, Haut-Brion, and Chateau Margaux are among the popular brands, but there are a hundred and one varieties that are passing good. Good claret has a remarkable freshness of taste and smell. Many of them come, in France, under the head of "vin ordinaire" but are by no means to be despised. Indeed, in the Quartier Latin in Paris there are scores of restaurants where the vin ordinaire at one or two sous a glass is drunk and enjoyed by the students of all nations with equal jouissance. Ordinarily it is mixed with water, either plain or mineral. For twenty-five centimes, or five cents, a pint bottle may be had, and no dejeuner or diner is complete without this, at least, provided one's pocketbook will not admit of a better wine.
Champagnes — " king's wine " — are of several varieties : the still or " non-mousseux," the effervescing or " mousseux," and the " grand-Mousseux " or highly effervescent. Champagne is an enduring wine, with a "bouquet exquis." The creaming champagne of the Aÿ sends up myriad bubbles, but never froths, and is preferred by those of discriminating taste to that which is frothy. Cheap champagnes are most injurious to the stomach, and have none of the qualities of the better classes. Champagne, once received, should never
Correct Wines for all Occasions
be moved until it is wanted for table use. Great heat or cold is unfavorable in keeping it, and the temperature should be carefully attended to.
Sauternes, wines of the Gironde, are white wines of considerable repute. They are bottled from the wood after seven or eight years, and are excellent dinner wines, particularly the Haut Sauterne. It is advisable in purchasing Sauterne to get that of the best quality.Sweet wines or dessert wines are not so much drunk as formerly, liqueurs being substituted for these "vins de liqueurs," as the French term them.The Muscadines, Frontignacs, and Lunels of the south of France, Lachryma Christi of Naples, sweet Syracuse and Cyprus, made between Paphos, Olympus, and Limassol, where is the great wine mart, are favorite sweet wines.
It is not every bachelor who can boast a wine cellar; indeed, save for one possessed of more than ordinary wealth, a cellar is an expensive luxury. The bachelor of Gray's Inn stored his wine under his bed, "because it would be drunk fast." A Devonshire esquire who loved wine "better than anything but his horse," stowed his wines in a corner cupboard near his spacious fireplace, with dire result;and a Scot who purchased a dozen bottles of choice vintage cellared them in a cock-loft for a special evening at home with friends. When evening was advanced, not dreaming that his dozen were drunk out, he called his Jeannie to bring "another bottle of No. 5." "I wonder what
Correct Wines for all Occasions
ye mean!" retorted Jeannie in surprise. "I ha' fetched down from the cock-loft the last bottle of the dozen ye had, an' ye maun noo go tae the whiskey."