In fact, there is an interesting intersection point in the histories of France and the Ottoman Empire, whose view of wine is so different from each other. In terms of Ottoman history, we need to go back to about 450 years ago, to 1570, for France it is 80 years.
After the death of Suleiman the Magnificent, the longest reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire, his son, Selim, The 2nd comes out. Selim, The 2nd is known for his fondness for wine, and it is even known that he was called Drunken Selim in some records. One of the people in Selim's close circle is Yasef Nassi, a Portuguese Jew who escaped from the pressure of the Inquisition and settled in the Ottoman Empire. Nassi, who supplied Crete, Rhodes and Cyprus wines to the Prince's palace in Kütahya before ascending to the throne. Later he obtained important privileges and accumulated considerable wealth with the support he received from the Sultan. It is rumored that these wines played an important role in the conquest of Cyprus as Nassi was imbuing. Of course, this is a topic that historians should enlighten us with. Wine-loving readers who wish to read an article, written by Mr. Murat Bardakçı on this subject, can access it from the link below.
For French part of the topic, we have to get back to World War II. French wines play an important role in this part of the Great War between the bordering Germany and France. The struggle of the Germans, who are trying to seize the wine stock of the country that produces the best wines in the world, and the French, who are determined to protect both their lives and their wine, has also been the subject of many anecdotes, some of which are so sad. For instance the famous Rothschilds family, who foresaw the invasion, decided to leave the country early, but the people of Vosne-Romance in Burgundy region had to exchange food and wine. Poniatowski, a wine producer in Vouvray buried his best wines under the ground so that he could at least stow away a starting capital for the days of after war. Curious wine lovers should definitely read the book "Wine and War: The French, The Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure", which explains this subject in all its dimensions. We share the Good Reads link of the book below.
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/356296
We wish for a world where there is very good wine and there is no war.
