Donald Kladstrup

Continuing my reading regarding World War II, I selected this book because I am an oenophile - a wine lover! I was extremely interested in finding out how the French vineyards/winemakers managed during World War II and was amazed at how much I learned.

Before the war started the 1930's saw cutbacks in shipments to the US due to Prohibition, but the winemakers and Americans manage to get around that by shipping win in crystal perfume bottles. Other tactics were also used so in ways preparing the Winemakers for the Nazi occupation. After the occupation after the men were sent off the German Army, limitations for those left behind included only German newsreels at the cinema, no American films, and
listening to American jazz was not allowed. The French food was rationed by calorie rationing 1200 per day for adults and 850 for the elderly but the restriction of no wine was the most painful for the French. Actions of subtle defiance - spilling drinks on the Germans, bad directions for German tourists, red, white and blue "accidental" displays as in clothing kept the French spirits up. The French Resistance helped to hide 100s of thousands of bottles of excellent wine while winemakers sent the poorer vintages to the German hierarchy. To prevent good wines leaving the area, Resistance would derail trains and hijack shipments. Resistance Leaders at times were even smuggled out of Occupied areas in wine barrels.

But the winemakers had other problems - their plow horses were taken for the army so that cows had to be used, chemicals/fertilizers were unable to be obtained and yet the German still required large numbers of bottles of wine to be sent to Germany each month. There were even weinfurhers who were responsible to canvas each of the major wine regions - Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne - for the best wines.

But French Army finally was able to join the fight after D-day. During the Champagne Campaign, the French troops advanced up the western side of the Rhone where the best vineyards were planted while the Americans went up the other side where the lesser wines were made. Frequently the French troops slowed down so as to prevent battles taking place in the vineyards.

The great vineyards frequently said that from 1939 to 1945 paltry wines were made but when the war ended in 1945, there was a tremendous harvest.

I was happy to read that the vast majority of the vineyards were able to survive.

This was a very well-written book with interviews from family members whose vineyards were part of the battle for French wine.

One bad note - there was a part where an American soldier from Baltimore was described as a avid Oriole fan. Sorry, the Orioles did not come to Baltimore until 1954. I know because it is my hometown team!

This would be a great book for any oenophile!… (mere)

This is the epitome of a modern, awesome history book: it takes on an unusual angle, the role of wine and winemakers in World War II, and tells a tale of resistance and endurance in an engaging, enlightening manner. Wine is France. The Germans knew it. Claiming French wine was part of the overall subjugation and brutalization of the French people.

I was awed at the ways that winemakers fought back, from smuggling people in wine barrels (no easy lid removals, either--barrels had to be completely deconstructed), to hiding Jewish friends and downed American pilots in rooms next door to German soldiers, to trying to engineer copper sulfate for wine production with Germans all around--and dogfights overhead. Wow. This book is a fast, easy read, but one with a lot of depth.… (mere)