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Part I
Chasing the Legend
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Part II
Battle of the Argonne Forest
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Part III
Our French Connections
Battle of the Argonne Forest
It turns out that while my grandfather was tasting that wine, he was marching into the largest battle of the entire war. In fact, the Meuse–Argonne Offensive remains the largest single action ever fought by the US Army; lasting 47 days and involving 1.2 million soldiers.
The End of the War A tale of courage and triumph
The war ended for my grandfather on November 3, 1918, when he was wounded near the village of Bantheville near La Tuilerie Farm, a farmhouse still there.
In a curious twist, this battle ended World War I, a mere 8 days after my grandfather was wounded. He recuperated in a small, improvised stone field hospital with the other soldiers pictured in this photograph in 1919.
Explore with us
Through our dear friend, Jean-Paul de Vries we’ve traced my grandfather's movements to that very place and we’d like nothing more if you’d join us in exploring this fascinating area of eastern France.
An Homage to Heroes It's not all about the wine.
When I heard my grandfather’s stories of tasting wine while marching into the battle of the Argonne it was typically accompanied by some other incredible details. It was his first-time experiencing wine and, thankfully, the last time ever witnessing such brutality.
Argonne Cellars has never been just an homage to him, but to his comrades, too. Especially those comrades who never made it back; his buddies buried in the cemetery outside the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon.
The Ultimate Irony A bittersweet ending to my grandfather's wine journey
My grandfather talked a lot about that French wine, and how it was the best thing he’d ever tasted. But there’s a postscript; the Germans hit his unit with mustard gas during the battle, and while he managed to rip open a small khaki pouch containing his gas mask, the effect of mustard gas is particularly nefarious—oftentimes causing a permanent loss of sense of taste. That wine was the best thing he’d ever tasted, but sadly, it was among the last.
