During the occupation of France, what did upscale vinters and restaurants in the USA sell in the way of premium wine? Did they have enough in stock that if you were rich and important enough you could get a bottle of the good stuff, or did they make do with domestic production?
Not sure how it will relate to the US, but I checked Trove, the Australian newspaper archive. During WW2 just about every mention of French champagne made it clear they were opening a saved or special bottle. Australian champagne and sparkling wines were used to crack on ships being launched, or making toasts.
There was (and obviously still is) a domestic wine industry, but at the time it was very much considered second tier for white wines and champagnes versus European product. But, since people were busy dying to protect freedom, it was probably patriotic and frugal to drink the horrible local piss, and praise its interesting and confronting bouquet.
You drank from stocks on hand or went without. The war was a boom time for California wineries. They consolidated, planted better varietals, and generally made serious bank until 1947, when the wine boom ended. By then, distilleries were back in operation and people could get the alcohol of their choice, not Hobson’s.
Distilleries didn’t run during WW2?
Not for civilians. All the alcohol was needed for the war effort. So if you didn’t have a stash of Old Overcoat, you were SOL.