From Churchill’s love of Champagne to Napoleon’s adoration of Burgundy, the drinks that accompanied some of history’s most legendary military leaders offer a glimpse into personal life beyond the battle strategies, famous dates, and memorable quotes.

Military campaigns, strategy, and the decisions that changed the course of history are what we normally think of when the likes of Eisenhower come to mind. Yet the figures behind war had their own tastes, habits and small pleasures. For some, wine was a daily companion; for others, it was reserved for celebrations, or they preferred a different style of beverage entirely.

This Veterans Day, observed in the United States on November 11, we look beyond the battlefield to explore famous historical figures and wine. The stories reveal not only personal loves, but also the place wine has occupied in culture, military life, the rituals of victory, and fine wine history.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War Two and later US president, was more of a whisky than wine man.

While family records hinted at a preference for scotch, champagne always appeared in the family home for New Year’s celebrations.

Eisenhower's wartime experience also saw him in contact with Europe's wine-producing regions. Allied HQs operated in areas where wine was integral to local life, and the surrender of the Wehrmacht was signed in Champagne country at Reims in May 1945.

That said, in the annals of wine and history, Eisenhower very much had a preference for the juice of the barley than bubbles!

On the other hand, Eisenhower’s brother in arms, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, was an ardent fan of champagne. In fact, few wartime leaders are more closely associated with a particular wine than the ‘British Bulldog’ with his preference for full-bodied, aged bubbly well documented.

Churchill was a devotee of bubbles, with the house Pol Roger Champagne holding a special place in his love for this iconic sparkling wine. His admiration for this particular estate dates to the turn of the 20th century. Legend has it that he was buying Pol Roger as far back as 1908, and his enthusiasm continued for decades. Following the liberation of Paris in 1944, he encountered Odette Pol-Roger at an event. The meeting developed into a lasting friendship between Churchill and the Champagne family which survived his death in 1965. In 1984, Pol Roger introduced its prestige cuvée, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, in honor of the wartime leader. Made only in the finest vintages, it draws on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the finest vineyards and is designed to reflect the structure, breadth, and maturity Churchill loved.

The leader is also famous for enjoying Bordeaux, Port, whisky, and cognac, but it is Churchill's favorite Champagne that has left the biggest mark on his image.

Long before Churchill, another military mastermind developed an attachment to a particular wine. Napoleon Bonaparte had (and has) deep associations with Chambertin, the acclaimed red wine of Burgundy's Côte de Nuits.

Historical records detail this finest of Burgundy wines as routinely accompanying Napoleon's meals, with supplies reportedly following him on military campaigns.

Chambertin is produced from Pinot Noir and hails from the vineyards around Gevrey-Chambertin. Today, the Grand Cru is celebrated for its depth, structure, and capacity to evolve into a complex expression with age. Interestingly, Napoleon favored this wine eons before modern appellation rules formalized the classifications that are familiar today.

Napoleon is also famously linked to another wine: Constantia from South Africa. Following defeat and his exile to the remote South Atlantic island of Saint Helena, the French military leader developed an appreciation of this legendary sweet wine from the Cape of Good Hope. Remaining on the island until his death, Napoleon also enjoyed a glass of claret.

General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French during the Second World War and, subsequently, president of France, had a reputation for being a relatively abstemious man. Despite being an icon of the French Resistance and national identity, his preference in wines is more obscure.

In any case, wine had a central place in the culture he represented (France’s occupying enemies regularly commandeered the best wines they found as they spread across its wine regions). During this time, Champagne heritage became a symbol of French identity and strength, while the region itself suffered appallingly under occupation. Its producers faced shortages and restrictions, not to mention the difficult task of protecting their wines.

After the victory of the Allied forces, de Gaulle expressed his admiration for the iconic sparkling wine and its producers openly. The local trade body, the Union des Maisons de Champagne, records his praise for the enterprise and resilience of those working in the industry, describing the wine as a valuable French resource and an honor for the country.

For de Gaulle, therefore, the enduring story is not a favorite bottle or estate but wine's place in French culture and identity – and his pride in the people across the region who endured the hardships of the war and emerged triumphant.

For collectors, military history and wine add another dimension to the enjoyment of a bottle. A mature Champagne or a fine Burgundy can recall not only an appellation and vintage, but its place in turning points in history.

Veterans Day is an opportunity to recognize those who have served in armed forces. The histories of Churchill, Napoleon, Eisenhower, and de Gaulle span different countries and eras, but their rich tales illustrate how military history intersects with quotidian human preferences and traditions.

This November 11, a glass of Champagne or Burgundy might provide a fitting starting point for reflecting on those connections, wine and history.

Cheers to those who have served.

Want to read more? Take a look at some of our other blogs:

• • Fit for a President: State Dinner pairings
  • Four prized university wine cellars
  • Seven innovations that changed winemaking