What a topical query! My knowledge dates to later decades in teh century, but they might be leads.. Champagne was commonly served as the proper accompaniment to the fish course of a proper, multi-course dinner. It was also a common before dinner drink, if you were of a certain station in the world. Obviously, its presence has class implications, but it did appear often in teh glasses of the well-to-do. Juliette Rogers Stephen Phillips Trust House Salem MA -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Finney, Susan E Cooper Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 11:10 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: champagne in the 1830s & 1840s The Michigan Historical Museum is installing an exhibit about an unidentified wreck on the Great Lakes circa 1840. It was a working schooner in the fishing trade (no identifying marks as to the specific vessel) and all of the information about the wreck is based on archaelogical research. Its cargo was fish & salt in barrels. It may have occasionally carried paying passengers and would have had a crew of 3 or 4. Problematical are the champagne bottles & 1 beer bottle found in the stern cabin. We have a couple of questions about why these bottles (particularly the champagne) may have been found on the wreck. 1. Was champagne more common than other kinds of wine in this time period? 2. Was it used as more of a table-wine than as a celebration drink? If anyone can help with these questions, we would deeply appreciate it. Thanks all! Sincerely, Susan E. Cooper Finney Exhibit Designer Michigan Historical Museum Lansing, Michigan ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).