The Winemaker's Wife

Olivia, or Liv, is the second point-of-view character in the novel. However, she serves mostly as a vehicle for Grandma Edith’s journey toward Redemption and Forgiveness. While Inès begins her character arc with a new marriage, Liv begins hers with a difficult divorce. She feels her identity has been inextricably tied to her role in supporting another person, and when this role is taken away, she becomes unmoored. Olivia’s ex-husband, Eric, is revealed to have had an affair, beginning a motif of Loyalty and Betrayal that continues throughout the novel and fuels Olivia’s disdain for extramarital relations. This, in turn, strains her relationships with both Julien and her grandmother.

Olivia’s time with Julien creates an intense internal conflict; not knowing that Julien is a widower, Olivia berates herself for desiring and ultimately becoming intimate with a married man. She has strong ethical boundaries and, unlike Inès and Céline, can’t see any justification for such an act. Once she learns the truth about Julien’s wife, however, Olivia allows herself the freedom to love. By the end of the story, Olivia has discovered her own Heritage and Identity as the heir of Maison Chauveau and even begins building a new relationship with her biological grandmother, Céline. She begins learning about the wine house’s champagne production and forges a new connection with her family’s land, bringing the novel full circle as she reconnects with her roots.

Céline is the third point-of-view character in the novel, and can also be interpreted as the titular “winemaker’s wife.” Unlike Inès, she grew up in the winemaking business and integrates easily into Maison Chauveau. She is practical and hardworking, and resents Inès’s easygoing nature. In contrast to Inès’s romanticism, Céline believes that “love was something you had to work for, and [she] had tried hard over the years” (57). Initially, she finds more comfort in the practicalities of business than in the uncertainties of romantic love. However, she quickly finds the connection with Michel that she was lacking with Theo. She retracts her earlier, more practical mindset and embraces the romance of true love in order to justify her actions with Michel. Even though she knows their relationship is toxic, and it has the potential to bring harm to their loved ones, she continues in her affair, letting herself believe she will become Michel’s new wife.

Coming from a Jewish family, Céline is particularly vulnerable at Maison Chauveau. She worries for the well-being of her family, as well as that of Michel, Theo, and Inès as her Heritage and Identity pose a threat to their home. This makes her grow up quickly and take on a lot of responsibility, creating an even greater divide between her and Inès. Conversely and ironically, this vulnerability is ultimately what brings them closer together. Céline grows to respect Inès’s courage and strength as they get to know each other better, which problematizes her feelings for Michel. After they’re separated, Céline survives in the Jewish concentration camp by believing in ideals like love, hope, and family. Even though these beliefs aren’t rewarded for many years—and not in the way she expects—they give her something to strive toward as she faces the inhumanity of Auschwitz.

Michel is a winery owner with a natural flair for leadership. At the start of the novel, he prioritizes his family and house’s well-being by encouraging Inès to accommodate the German soldiers. However, he quickly reconsiders and begins finding subtle ways to help in the resistance. As someone in a position of leadership, Michel does not romanticize or downplay the conflicts his country is facing; this conflicts with Inès’s optimistic, inward-focused nature. The resulting distance between them reveals their true lack of compatibility.

By contrast, Michel finds a kindred spirit in Céline. Subsequently, their affair and Céline’s pregnancy drive most of Michel’s actions. Like other characters, Michel struggles with issues of Loyalty and Betrayal as well as Redemption and Forgiveness. Although Michel and Inès never fully reconnect, they approach something slightly closer to a friendship as they come to see each other’s strengths.

Theo is a static character in the novel, and he remains consistent from beginning to end. At the start of the story, Michel reflects that Theo has already undergone a subtle change, as the influence of the war causes him to become even more dedicated to the winery’s wellbeing. Much like Inès, Theo focuses on the minutiae of living, rather than the bigger picture. In this way, Theo is more representative of common French people of the time than the heroic figures so often seen in historical fiction; he does his best to ignore the horrors around him, hoping they will pass, and makes the best of a challenging situation. Through his inaction, Michel’s trust in him wanes. However, Theo shares a subtle connection with Inès when they begin to realize that they are being left behind. Once Maison Chauveau falls and Michel and Céline are taken away, Theo tries to move on with his life by joining a new business and starting a new family elsewhere. However, Theo was never fully able to move on: “in his final days, all [he] talked about was the Maison Chauveau” (401).