During the Second World War, unlike during the First, the wine producing area of Champagne remained outside of the battle zone. In June the German Army swept into France from the Aisne to the Seine and crossed the Marne without meeting serious resistance, despite the individual and collective heroism of many involved. But, for four long years, Champagne was occupied by the Germans and, while its possessions were kept relatively safe, many of its men found themselves far away, in prison camps or taken over the Rhine as forced labour, or in free France or the French army in Algeria.
Work was difficult in the vineyards. As well as the lack of labour there were chronic shortages of most things, including products to treat the vines and horses. During the harvests it was hard to find enough pickers, and even if they could be found there was no food to feed them! Fortunately nature was fairly generous. There has been no grape moth, little or no harvest worms, just one frost in the spring, but more in One might add that was also a fine vintage.
For the production of champagne, as in the war, there were shortages in some materials and bottles were recycled, buyers being required to return them when they reordered.
Sales to the countries at war with the Axis were, of course, impossible and in the press signalled the return to the United States of the bootleggers offering champagne substitutes as well as authentic champagne, just as in the heyday of Prohibition. The occupation authorities soon established an office in Rheims charged with the coordination of German purchases and the fixing of levies. The levies continued, varying annually until the end of the war from between 15 and 18 million bottles, but these were carried out in an orderly fashion; the merchants were paid and they were free to sell the surplus in France and to the neutral countries.
A certain agreement was thus established between the occupied and the occupiers, but at the end of the situation deteriorated because the Resistance movement started to become active in Champagne. The Germans hardened their attitude towards Resistance activities.
