At dinners of great pretension, from eight to twelve different kinds of wines are sometimes served. This is rather ostentatious than elegant. In my judgment, neither elegance nor good taste is displayed in such excess. Four different kinds of wine are quite enough for the grandest occasions imaginable, if they are only of the choicest selection. Indeed, for most occasions, a single wine—a choice claret or Champagne—is quite sufficient. In fact, let no one hesitate about giving dinners without any wine at all. Proper respect for conscientious scruples about serving wine would forbid a criticism as to the propriety of serving any dinner without it. Such dinners are in quite as good taste, and will be just as well appreciated by sensible people; and it makes very little difference whether people who are not sensible are pleased or not.

If three wines are served, let them be a choice sherry with the soup, claret with the first course after the fish, and Champagne with the roast. If a fourth is desired, there is no better selection than a ChÂteau Yquem, to be served with an entrÉe. If Champagne alone is used, serve it just after the fish. Many serve claret during the entire dinner, it matters not how many other varieties may be served; others do the same with Champagne—for the benefit of the ladies, they say. I believe, however, Champagne is considered with more disfavor every day. In England, punch is served with turtle or mock-turtle soup. A receipt may be found for one of their best punches (see page 339). I consider it, however, a decided mistake to serve so strong a beverage, especially at the beginning of a dinner. A fine ale is often served with the cheese-and-cracker course at family dinners, when wine is not served.

As a rule, I would say that the white wines, Sauterne, Rhine, etc., are served with raw oysters, or just before the soup; sherry or Madeira, with the soup or fish; Champagne, with the meat; claret, or any other of the red wines, with the game. Many prefer claret just after the fish, as it is a light wine, and can be drunk instead of water. If still another wine is added for the dessert, it is some superior sherry, port, Burgundy, or any fine wine. Very small glasses of liqueurs, such as maraschino and curaÇoa, are sometimes served at the end of a dinner after coffee.

In France, coffee (cafÉ noir) is served after the fruit at dinner, a plan which should be generally followed at dinner parties at least. It is always well to serve cream and sugar with coffee, as many prefer it.

Proper Temperature in which Wines should be Served.

Sherry should be served thoroughly chilled.

Madeira should be neither warm nor cold, but of about the same temperature as the room.

Claret should be served at the same temperature as Madeira, never with ice; it should remain about forty-eight hours standing, then decanted, care being observed that no sediment enter the decanter.

Champagne should either be kept on ice for several hours previous to serving, or it should be half frozen; it is then called Champagne frappÉ. It is frozen with some difficulty. The ice should be pounded quite fine, then an equal amount of salt mixed with it. A quart bottle of Champagne well surrounded by this mixture should be frozen in two hours, or, rather, frozen to the degree when it may be poured from the bottle.

Treatment of Wines.

Connoisseurs on the subject of wine say much depends upon its treatment before it is served; that it is invariably much impaired in flavor through ignorance of proper treatment in the cellar; and that a wine of ordinary grade will be more palatable than one of better quality less carefully managed. They say wine should never be allowed to remain in case, but unpacked, and laid on its side. Above all, wine should be stored where it is least exposed to the changes of temperature.

All red wines should be kept dry and warm, especially clarets, which are more easily injured by cold than by heat. Consequently, on account of the rigor of our winters, clarets are better stored in a closet on the second floor (not too near a register) than in a cellar. Champagnes and Rhine wines stand cold better than heat, which frequently causes fermentation. The warmer sherry, Madeira, and all spirits are kept, the better.

Choice of Brands.

Champagne.—Perhaps the choicest brands of Champagne are PommÉry (dry, supposed to mean less sweet), Giesler (sweet), Veuve Cliquot (sweet), and Roederer (sweet). The best of the cheaper Champagnes are Charles Roederer, Heidsick, Montebello, and Krug.

Claret.—Choicest brands: ChÂteaux La Rose, ChÂteau La Tour, ChÂteau Lafitte, or ChÂteau Margeaux. Best cheaper brand, St. Julien.

Sauterne.—Best: ChÂteau Yquem, La Tour Blanche. Best cheaper, Haut-Sauterne.

Burgundy.—Best brands: Clos Vougeot, Chambertin, Chablis, and Red Hermitage.

Sherry.—Best brand, Amontillado.

Hock.—Best brands: Steinberg Cabinet and Marcobrunner. Best sparkling wine, Hochheimer.

The American dry wines are most excellent, and might be more patronized by those who know no other wine than that of foreign manufacture. The Missouri Catawba and Concord wines are especially good; so are some of the California wines. The Ohio Catawba is quite noted.

Bill-of-fare Table.

Bills of fare can be easily made by selecting more or less dishes, and serving them in the order indicated in the table. The dishes are to be garnished as explained in receipts.