Wine, a strong symbol for Pétain
In 1940, at the end of the “funny war” Marshal Pétain had full powers and agreed to collaborate with Nazi Germany, which occupied a large part of French territory. He is a very popular figure in France after his victory in the First World War. The peasant son is much appreciated and seen as the savior of the country.
The Marshal’s Clos
In Côte-d’Or, the mark of friendship with the Vichy regime is reflected in the donation of a parcel of the Hospices de Beaune to Marshal Pétain. It is called the Clos Marshal. Sympathizers of the “collabo” regime come to have their picture taken in front of the gate stamped with the Vichy colors. Today, this gateway has obviously changed its name and is almost nowhere to be found.
Are the winegrowers all collaborating?
As early as 1940, Nazi Germany appointed Weinführer, wine chefs responsible for overseeing the wine trade there. Winegrowers and trading houses now have no choice but to sell their entire production to Nazi Germany. There are also “wild sales” in the vineyards. German soldiers and army officials buy the bottles at unbeatable prices. This new commercial organization is still visible today. Historians in fact attribute the creation of the wine industry to the Nazis.
The bottom of the investigation
The subject of the collaboration between the Burgundy vineyards and Germany is still a sensitive subject. Nevertheless, the journalist Antoine Dreyfus affirms to have been well received in our region during his investigation. The Interprofessional Bureau of Burgundy Wines had in fact already begun to remember this sad period in our history. Also, the journalist was accompanied on the ground by two Côte-d’Oriens engaged in this duty of memory: the current mayor of Gevrey-Chambertin and former historian Christophe Lucand, and the historian Julien Vigreux.