When reading "Wine Politics" by Tyler Colman over the weekend, I was surprised to learn that, as part of the daily ration, soldiers were equipped with a 1/2 liter of red wine per day called Pinard. Wine became a source of national unity and was a way to help soldiers get through the horrors of the trenches. While according to Colman, France's peak of wine consumption was in 1900 at 100 liters per capita per year, widespread consumption of wine (i.e., "popular intoxication") across different socio-economic classes was born during WWI.
The 1915 poster below shows a poilu (a French soldier) and asks "What do you need to be happy?" The answer is "A little lady, spirits and Pinard."
An interesting perspective! I guess the wine classification we covered today and its failure to change showed another dark side of wine. It's also the result of political gaming and a side-product of soothe the fear of innovation.
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