Still, their leader's teetotalism notwithstanding, the Germans showed no distaste for French wine when they invaded France in 1940.

The commentator may have had a point after all, write Don and Petie Kladstrup, it was a well-known fact that Adolf Hitler did not like wine. But, he continued, what made France truly superior to its neighbors was the French passion for wine, which 'contributed to the French race by giving it wit, gaiety, and good taste, qualities which set it profoundly apart from people who drink a lot of beer.' Liberty, equality, and fraternity are all well and good, a champion of French culture once remarked. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title. Wine and War illuminates a compelling, little-known chapter of history, and stands as a tribute to extraordinary individuals who waged a battle that, in a very real way, saved the spirit of France. This is the thrilling and harrowing story of the French wine producers who undertook ingenious, daring measures to save their cherished crops and bottles as the Germans closed in on them. Like others in the French Resistance, winemakers mobilized to oppose their occupiers, but the tale of their extraordinary efforts has remained largely unknown–until now. In 1940, France fell to the Nazis and almost immediately the German army began a campaign of pillaging one of the assets the French hold most dear: their wine. –Claude Terrail, owner, Restaurant La Tour d’Argent

'To be a Frenchman means to fight for your country and its wine.' The remarkable untold story of France’s courageous, clever vinters who protected and rescued the country’s most treasured commodity from German plunder during World War II.

Wine and War by Don Kladstrup