Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays are behind us, time to indulge in a good read. “The Winemaker’s Wife,” by Kristin Harmel, combines my love of Champagne with historical fiction. The story takes place in the French wine-growing region of Reims just, as World War II is about to break out. Michel, the owner of Maison Chauveau (fictional Champagne house), has just married Inès, who is struggling to adapt to her new life as a wife living and working at Maison Chauveau. Meanwhile, Michel’s head winemaker’s wife is Jewish, and as the Nazis move in and occupy Reims, the reality of survival becomes real. The Germans are looting millions of bottles of Champagne from cellars and Jewish townspeople are being rounded up and transported east. The book is a suspenseful page-turner with the events and decisions made by the story’s characters during those war years, unfolding into the present day and intertwined into the story.
Not that I need a reason to open a bottle of Champagne, but what better way to immerse myself in the historic Champagne wine-growing region as I read “The Winemaker’s Wife,” then to popped open a bottle of bubbly!…
