Wine and war: Burgundy wine production and consumption during World War I

Abstract

ABSTRACT It took French vineyards at least 30 years to recover after the phylloxera crisis which started hitting the country in 1863. The restoration included a glut and winegrower rebellions. When World War I (WWI) dragged on, consumption kept rising in the trenches. In the vineyards, production was made difficult because the experienced workers were sent to the frontlines of the war. The experienced workforce was replaced by inexperienced women, children, the elderly and prisoners of war. There was a lack of horses and basic chemical products such as sulfur and copper needed for wine production. To assist the inexperienced workers, the magazine Le Progrès Agricole et Viticole provided advice to those who were tending the vineyards. Likewise, soldiers like Jean-Baptiste Roux sent letters with practical advice to their wives who were managing the vineyards. Demand on the frontlines kept increasing and wine requisitions had a positive effect on the wine trade. However, the wine soldiers drank in the trenches was often a poor-quality product and drunkenness and alcoholism rose.