A collection of 133 bottles of late-19th-century wine hidden during World War II has been restored and placed on public display [1, 2].
The recovery of these bottles provides a rare glimpse into both noble viticulture and the desperate measures taken to protect cultural assets during the Nazi occupation of Europe. The cache serves as a physical record of the Beaufort-Spontin family's efforts to preserve their heritage under the threat of wartime seizure.
The bottles were discovered beneath the floor of a chapel in Becov Castle, located in the village of Becov nad Teplou in the Czech Republic [2, 3]. Members of the noble Beaufort-Spontin family hid the wine during World War II, which spanned from 1939 to 1945 [3, 4]. The family concealed the collection to prevent Nazi confiscation before they fled to Austria [3, 4].
Restoration efforts were led by the French winery Château d'Yquem, which worked to stabilize the century-old liquids [1, 2]. The collection includes bottles dating as far back as 1892 [1]. Because of the extreme age and the conditions of their burial, the restoration process was painstaking.
The restored collection was officially exhibited to the public on June 2, 2024 [2, 3]. The bottles are now housed within the same castle where they remained hidden for decades, transitioning from a secret wartime hoard to a historical exhibit [2].
“133 bottles of late-19th-century wine hidden during World War II has been restored”
The restoration of the Beaufort-Spontin collection highlights the intersection of oenology and wartime history. By utilizing the expertise of Château d'Yquem, the project demonstrates how modern scientific preservation can recover organic materials that were previously considered lost to time and environmental decay, turning a private family hoard into a public historical asset.
