You’ve dashed around town, wrapped your holiday gifts, and baked your cookies. Now it’s time to put up your feet and R-E-L-A-X!
Go ahead – pour yourself a glass a bubbly (c’mon, you know you want to) and grab a good book.
If historical fiction is your genre, an easy and engaging read this holiday season is The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel (Gallery Books, 2019). Set in the Champagne region of France during World War II – and in the present day – this novel tells the story of four main characters whose lives are altered irrevocably in the struggle to survive and defeat their Nazi persecutors.
At times you’ll want to throw this book in anger at the main character. I get it. But hold on and stick it out for the ending to appreciate the full impact of Harmel’s storytelling.
Please note that while the book for this post was provided, opinions are my own.
Champagne during wartime
The New York Post published an informative article by Reed Tucker last summer, when Harmel’s book was released, on how champagne makers fooled the Nazis and helped turn the tide of World War II.
Germans viewed amassing and consumption of premium wine as a way to flaunt their victory over the French, and many of the top Nazi officers were wine aficionados. They ransacked France’s cellars and demanded the best bottles. As Harmel told The Post,
“In the first few weeks of the German occupation, soldiers stole more than 2 million bottles from winemakers in the Champagne region.”
The clever winemakers found ways to hide their best bottles in their cellars or intentionally mislabeled their worst vintages with labels from better ones. Harmel relates these ploys in her book.
According to The Post, many residents of the area also hid arms and Allied soldiers in their cellars. French Jews took refuge in the cellars, too.
Champagne was not alone in its resistance to the Nazis. Winemakers in Burgundy, Alsace, the Loire Valley, and Bordeaux also risked their lives for the sake of their country and fellow citizens.
If Harmel’s novel sparks your interest in this subject, another book to explore is Wine and War: The French, the Nazis and the Battle for France’s Greatest Treasure by Donald and Petie Kladstrup (Broadway Books, 2002).
The book and the bubbly
Ah, Champagne – what other name conjures up so much elegance? Only three grapes are allowed by law to be used in Champagne: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. How these three grapes are blended by the winemaker year after year creates the house brand. The blending process, also called assemblage, is everything.
During the holiday season, you’ll find lots of recommendations for Champagne. Here in Pennsylvania, the Holiday 2019 edition of the state store system magazine suggests three to try:
- Moët & Chandon Imperial Champagne Brut, $46.99
- Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Champagne Brut, $155.99
- Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut. Price, $51.99
Intimated by the price? You’re not alone, so I’d like to share with you a little secret from Wine Folly: The best cheap Champagne isn’t called “Champagne.”
Throughout France (and in other countries, too) wines are made in the méthode traditionnelle, the same traditional method used in Champagne. That is, a secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle. These French wines are known as “Crémant.” The grapes are often different, and aging times vary. But Crémant from Alsace, Bourgogne, and the Loire will give you the same luscious bubbles and celebratory elegance as Champagne, for just a fraction of the price.
Recently, I bought a 2015 Château Moncontour Cuvée Prédilection Vouvray AOC Brut for a #Winophiles chat. Produced from 100% Chenin Blanc grapes grown on limestone surrounding Château Moncontour, on the north bank of the Loire River, this sparkling wine matures 20 months in the bottle after the second fermentation.
What a beautiful nose on this wine! Loaded with freshly picked apple aromas, followed by a slightly yeasty and honeyed palate offset by medium+ acidity. Medium+ finish. Alcohol: 12.5%. Price: $19.99. A good wine to bring to a party, or sip at home as you’re reading Harmel’s book!