The Winemaker's Wife

Olivia Kent is recently divorced. Her ex-husband, Eric, had an affair with a young administrative assistant while Olivia was undergoing treatment for in vitro fertilization. Now, he helping Olivia move her move into her tiny new apartment. Eric asks Liv not to be angry, but Liv is disdainful of Eric’s selfishness and his blasé attitude about ending their 12-year marriage. They were both successful professionals, “the perfect power couple” in the same company until Liv left the workforce for her third and final round of IVF treatments (7). She was unsuccessful and now she has no friends, job, or savings.

However, Liv’s French grandmother, Edith, has been helping to support her. After Eric leaves, Grandma Edith arrives unexpectedly. She announces that she and Liv will be traveling to Paris later that day.

Inès considers the wine cellars beneath her property, which Michel’s ancestor built in the 19th century. They are extensive and complex, and Inès once got lost while exploring them. The cellars also contain a secret cave behind a false wall, which conceals valuable bottles of champagne. With staff shortages due to the war, Inès is learning more about the winemaking process; however, she finds it intimidating and challenging.

Inès works with Theo’s wife, Céline, and notices that Céline has been crying; Céline confesses that she’s worried about her family’s safety because they’re Jewish. Inès tries to comfort Céline but does not fully grasp the seriousness of the situation. She considers her own parents, who both died of natural causes when she was 16. Having no other family, Inès went to stay with her friend Edith’s family, and that is how she met Michel. When Inès and Michel married, Inès envisioned a life of idyllic luxury. However, she found the experience disappointing and isolating.

Theo arrives to tell Céline that German soldiers have arrived in Champagne. Céline is afraid they will come for her since she is half-Jewish, but Theo tells her they are demanding to see the owners of the champagne houses. As they go to meet the Germans, Céline considers her and Theo’s relationship with Michel; after Theo was hired, the three of them became a family. However, Theo and Michel are growing distant due to their contrasting attitudes about the war.

The soldiers arrive at the main house, and Michel and Inés are already there to greet them. Céline and Theo join them, and they all descend to explore the wine caves. The soldiers take the remaining bottles of wine and requisition all the valuables from Céline and Theo’s on-site cottage. They also take all the food, furniture, tapestries, and heirlooms from the main house.

When the soldiers leave, Inès is angry that Michel acted so submissively with the Germans; he says he is just trying to survive. A German officer, Captain Richter, assesses Céline before they leave. He tells the couples they will see him again.

During their flight, Liv and Grandma Edith discuss Liv’s failed marriage. Liv remembers how Grandma Edith disliked Eric immediately, forcing Liv to sign a prenuptial agreement before her wedding to keep Eric from inheriting their property in France. When Liv questions how Grandma Edith knew his character, she replies that she learned from her past.

Inès, Céline, Theo, and Michel prepare for the wine harvest, which is sparse and disappointing. Inès considers the complex post-harvest process that she is still just learning. She questions Michel about the poor harvest, but he becomes defensive. Céline comes to Michel’s aid, making Inès feel left out. Later, Céline apologizes, but the distance between the two women only grows.

One night, Michel announces that the weinführer, an officer designated to oversee champagne production, will be arriving to inspect Maison Chauveau. They prepare to meet him the next morning, although Céline remains absent so as not to call attention to her Jewish heritage. The wine inspector speaks with Michel about the dwindling labor force and the wine harvest, and demands a large shipment of wine bottles.

Soon, local winemakers begin rising against the Germans in small ways, such as mislabeling poor-quality wine and using dirty bottles. However, the inspector notices the discrepancies and arrests Michel, who spends several relaxed days in prison with other winemakers.

Theo and Michel go to a winemaker’s meeting, while Céline and Inès are preparing wine barrels in the caves. Céline tells Inès about her winemaking family and explains that she met Theo while he was apprenticing for her father. They married for practical reasons, knowing they would each complement the other’s life. Inès finds it tragic that they didn’t marry for love. Inès expresses frustration at Michel’s lack of trust in her, but Céline secretly thinks that Inès has yet to earn that trust in the winery due to her many mistakes.

When the men return, they reveal that the inspector is now requesting 500,000 bottles of champagne per week. Later, Céline and Theo get into an argument about their priorities and Theo’s lack of compassion for Céline’s family. To clear her head, Céline descends to the wine caves. She is startled to meet Michel, who is also there for some thoughtful solitude. Michel inquires about the well-being of Céline’s family and offers to have someone check on them. They talk about their dissatisfactions in their marriages before they each return to their homes.

Upon arriving in Paris, Liv thinks about her childhood summers there and her mother’s string of boyfriends after the death of Liv’s father. Grandma Edith announces that they’ll be going to Reims, a central city of the Champagne region.

They take the train and arrive at their hotel, but Grandma Edith goes to bed, as she is unwell. Liv receives a call from her mother inviting her to the theater, but Liv declines, as she’s no longer in America. Suddenly, Liv looks out the window and notices that her grandmother is outside. While Grandma Edith is gone, a visitor arrives at the hotel: Julien Cohn, Grandma Edith’s lawyer.