Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure

Earlier this spring I read and reviewed The Nightingale and complained about what I perceive to be the over-saturation of the French Resistance genre within World War II historical fiction. I wanted a more nuanced history, I said, one that acknowledged the reality that every Frenchman was not for Charles de Gaulle or the Maquis. 

Well, it’s not fiction, but Wine and War fits the bill. Donald Kladstrup and Petie Kladstrup have written an insightful, multi-dimensional, and frankly fascinating account of the actions of French winemakers (and, in some cases, restaurateurs) during World War II. Some were actively engaged in the Resistance. Many undertook their own, independent acts of subterfuge or rebellion against the Germans. A few collaborated with the boches.  

The authors Kladstrup also take pains to ensure their readers understand that not all Germans were created equal. Many of those responsible for the oversight of the wine and champagne industries in France were Francophiles - a few had previously owed their own maisons before losing the property following Germany's loss in World War I. Often they wanted to preserve the French heritage, tradition, and friendships in spite of orders from above. Others were keen profiteers. 

Most impressively, this is not a textbook history, per se, but more of an anthropological one. The Kladstrups conducted countless interviews with French and German survivors of the war, as well as their children and sometimes grandchildren. They have taken pains to tell the history of wine in France and the winemaking process, as well, rather than diving directly into the events of the second World War. Taken together, this is a fascinating history, and would that should interest history lovers and especially World War II buffs and Francophile of all stripes.