Le vin des nazis (French Edition): How French Cellars Were Plundered During the Occupation" by Christophe Lucand

May 1940: France falls, and with it, its wine. Soon after the defeat, Nazi officials, the "Weinführer", are appointed to take control of the prestigious vineyards of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and Cognac. Under the direction of Hermann Göring, these men seize French cellars, looting them to supply the Nazi elite and fuel the war effort of the Third Reich.

In "The Wine of the Nazis", Christophe Lucand reveals how wine, considered by Göring as “the most precious of France’s treasures,” was at the heart of a vast network of plunder. Drawing on economic, judicial sources and private archives, this book reveals how, beyond the war, French wine played a key role in collaboration with the Germans. Important figures in the French wine scene, such as Henri Leroy of Romanée-Conti or Melchior de Polignac of the Pommery house, are involved in this systematic looting.

Wine became a symbol of collaboration, not only for the elite of Hitler’s regime but also for German society as a whole. This looting led to an unprecedented shortage in France, a steep rise in prices, and severe rationing, affecting the entire population.

Lucand thus paints a detailed picture of those dark times when wine, a symbol of French wealth and heritage, was exploited by the German Occupation. The book highlights how unscrupulous collaborators, corrupt businessmen, and even Gestapo criminals, like those of the Bonny-Lafont team, took advantage of this situation for their own gain.

This narrative is not only a captivating dive into history but also a critical examination of the role of wine in the collaboration and French defeat. An essential read to understand the impact of this period on the French wine heritage and the economic stakes of the time.

Product Features:

• Title: The Wine of the Nazis: How French Cellars Were Looted Under Occupation
• Author: Christophe Lucand
• Publisher: Grasset
• Collection: French Essay
• Publication Date: 03/08/2023
• OIV Prize 2024 Category: History
• Language: French
• Format: Paperback
• EAN13: 9782246824930
• ISBN: 978-2-246-82493-0
• Number of Pages: 352
• Dimensions: 20.5 x 14.1 x 2.3 cm
• Weight: 356 g