How do you drink wine like a French person?

Firstly, your choice of wine is just as important as how you drink it. When drinking wine like a Parisian, it's vital that you choose French wine in the first place. Although France, in general, is more known for their champagnes, their wine selection is just as good. And in fact, Parisians often prefer their homegrown bottles than those from other countries. Furthermore, you should also choose the wine that's appropriate for the season, Case in point: winter is for red wines, mostly, Especially since this is the season for the holidays. And nothing goes better with celebrations than your finest red! 

Open the Bottle Properly

Yes, there's a properly Parisian way on how to open a wine bottle. You don't just slice it open like any old bottle of liquor. You have to it the right way in order to fit in with the Parisians. Do you see that little knife on the corkscrew? You use it to cut around the rim of the cork to loosen it up. Once you feel that it's no longer tight, you pull it off. It's important to remember that you do not, under any circumstances, take the entire foil capsule off. It may not seem much to you, but it's seen as bad manners by the French. 

The Men Serve the Ladies

Parisian women may be independent and tough, but that doesn't stop them from letting the men fulfil their chivalrous duty. In a setting where wine is served, men should always serve the women their wine. It's customary that, even with any other alcoholic drink, that women do not pour the wine on their glasses themselves if there are men present. It's the man's duty to do that. Although this practice seems a little outdated, it's to uphold traditional French manners. Similarly, whoever is serving wine must never just serve himself. He is obliged to serve others or ask them if they want more wine. 

Don't Overfill your Glass

Do you really need a full glass of wine? If you're all by yourself and you're feeling a bit down, that's all well and good. But when you have company? It's actually bad manners to fill your wine glass all the way to the top. It's customer for Parisians to only have wine glasses come half-full. Having a full glass of wine can often mean that you're not in the mood to socialize, and in Paris, this is a no-no. Drinking wine always goes hand-in-hand with good conversation for Parisians. 

Always Pair it with Food

When you drink wine like a Parisian, you never really just drink it by itself. You always have to pair it with food. Why do you think they have several sorts of cheeses that go well with wine? In Paris, drinking wine is mostly done during a meal. Whether's lunch, dinner, or some snacks in between, you always have food on the table when you drink wine. When you just drink it by itself, Parisians will usually see you as somewhat of an alcoholic. And you don't want that reputation, do you? 

Drink it Slowly

Speaking of avoiding looking like an alcoholic, you also should drink your wine furiously. Drink it slowly, better in-between chatting with your friends or bites of fine French cheese, You don't down it all in one gulp. Wine isn't beer. In France, as well as other European countries, it's a drink that's meant to be savoured and enjoyed, Not a fast zinger to give you a strong kick! When you sip, make sure you have just enough for a nice mouthful. And always leave some in your glass, even when you want another refill. 

Finish When Everyone Does

Finally, the last rule to drinking wine like a Parisian is to always finish when everyone else is finished. This doesn't necessarily mean that when everyone else's glasses are empty, you chug yours down to finish a the same time (remember, drink your wine slowly.), but rather, you don't ask for more. When everyone's done with drinking with wine, you should be too. It's simple table manners that are most associated with drinking alcohol than anything else. Now, if you still want to drink even when the others are through, you can always go for a digesting. It's an after-dinner liqueur that helps with your digestion and it's very common in Paris. 

Enjoy wine the Parisian way by following these rules and tips on how the locals do it in the French capital. And they're very important too. While you're at home, this will serve as great practice for your next trip to the "City of Lights!"

This week we hand the ABG main feature over to Wendy Narby, author of  “The Drinking Woman’s Diet - A Liver-Friendly Lifestyle Guide.” In this week’s post Wendy offers her insider tips on living the expat life in France, and how to maintain wellness through eating and drinking as the French do.

— 

“My Hair Hurts,” Or, How to Drink like a French Woman

There are so many books out there telling us how all French women are slim and beautiful, with chic style, look ten years younger than their age, have perfect children and great sex lives, etc., etc. You name it; the French are better at it than us. It’s enough to make you reach for a drink!

I’ve lived in France for over thirty years so I'm happy to dispel a few of these myths so that we non-French women can dust off our self-esteem.

The French have some great phrases relating to the after-effects of over indulgence, such as “mal aux cheveux” (my hair hurts) and the famous “crise de foie” (a liver crisis). So they obviously don’t have this thing covered either.

Everybody lies about his or her alcohol consumption, but figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that the French win at alcohol consumption 12.2 litres per capita, with the United Kingdom at 11.6 and the United States at 9.2. But it's also about what we drink. In France, over half is consumed as wine, compared to a third in the UK and less than 20% in the US.

The figures also show the divide between men and women. In the United States, men are reported as drinking 13.6 litres per capita per year and women 4.9. In the United Kingdom, it’s 16.5 litres for men and 6.9 for women. The French beat us all at 17.8 litres for each man and 7.1 per woman.

While the French may drink more by volume, they also consume alcohol quite differently in three key ways:

They consume most of their alcohol as wine and mainly at meal times.

Friends rarely meet for drinks in France, they drink with food, so they’ll meet you for dinner or lunch. Yes, they are the champions of the “aperitif” but very much as a pre-meal experience—no preloading here. Drinking with food rather than on an empty stomach reduces the Blood Alcohol Concentration, and protects the liver. In France, they advise a spoonful of olive oil before drinking; in England, we advise a glass of milk. I prefer full-fat yoghurt, as it helps to repopulate many probiotics naturally present in the gut, and the fat content slows down alcohol absorption.

They take their time over meals, chewing well; they eat less and enjoy it more.

Chewing warns the stomach what food is heading its way, preparing the digestive process and allowing time for a full sensation to reach the brain from the stomach. This process slows down both food and wine consumption.

They have both wine and water on the table.

Drinking at least one glass of water for every glass of wine helps reduce headaches exacerbated by the dehydration as your body tries to dilute the alcohol. This habit helps. And no ice in that water, since iced water inhibits the digestion.

Furthermore, while French women drink their wine with food, their eating habits are worth a look, too:

French women do not snack in between meals.

• Croissants are for breakfast, not for a mid-morning top up.

• You don’t see French women walking around town with polystyrene cups of milky coffee. In fact, apart from breakfast, they never put milk in coffee.

• They eat three meals a day.

• They don’t eat on the hoof. They stop for lunch, take their time, eat slowly, and enjoy.

• They don’t eat half a baguette while waiting for the starter to arrive or a bowl of peanuts with the aperitif.

• They drink lots of water.

• They eat their veg. A French family meal will usually start with either salad (crudités) in the summer or soup in the winter. Vegetables are served with the main course and salad offered with cheese before dessert.

• They finish their meal with a strong (bitter) espresso, which closes the appetite.

You don't have to come to France to eat and drink like a French woman but when you do, you now know how to fit right in!

à votre santé !

Wendy Narby

You can purchase Wendy’s Book “The Drinking Woman’s Diet” in paperback , on e*book or via Amazon.

Our community is only as strong as the company we keep, and here we meet some of the folks who make our profession so dynamic.

Wendy Narby, Owner, Insider Tasting Wine Education, (Bordeaux, France)

Years In Industry:

Almost 30. After 8 years in Paris, I moved to Bordeaux to marry a wine maker and I’ve been working in the industry ever since. I started as a journalist, then as an educator at the Bordeaux wine school and now combine the two with organizing personalized programs for wine enthusiasts, both professional and amateurs wanting to gain a more intimate understanding of Bordeaux and occasionally other wine and spirits destinations. I published my first book ‘Bordeaux Bootcamp’ as a beginners guide to the region and earlier this year - The Drinking Woman’s Diet - A Liver Friendly Lifestyle Guide.

 My Biggest Challenge To Wellness:

Keeping to my self imposed regime of two days a week without booze, it is so tempting when there is so much great wine around, that and getting 7/8 hours sleep a night - now that is a challenge! 

How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:

I have a morning detox routine I try and stick to, even when I’m traveling: I start with a large glass of water and a stretch before even getting out of bed, oil pulling and body brushing and then a large mug of hot water with lemon juice, turmeric, ginger and pepper.

I try and do a daily yoga practice in the morning - even if it is just 10 minutes of sun salutations.  When I’m home walking the dog through the vines at the start of the day is as good for the mind as it is for the body. 

 You can connect with Wendy on Instagram, Twitter, FaceBook or on her website

There's no shortage of wine stories and media inundating our IN Boxes. Here's what has piqued our interest this week.

What Happens When a Somm Takes a Break from Drinking?  - SevenFifty Daily

“When my fiancé, Lyle, suggested that we give our livers the month off, I happily agreed. But after a few days, Sober October demonstrated to me why it wasn’t so easy to take a month off from drinking: It was bad for business.”

The Mindful Glass?  - Sarah Abbott MW on TimAtkin.com

 “If that’s how you feel, maybe you’re in the wrong industry”. I had just said, to a wine trade friend, that I thought our industry was in denial. We are complacent, and we are ignoring a gathering storm.“

As work life has it, we are traveling over the next few months and would love to see you. Check out details on the Let's Meet Up! page.

Business of Wine & Food Tourism Conference in Cape Town, Oct. 17 (Cathy)

Wine Communicator of the Year Awards in Sydney, Nov. 6 (Rebecca)

Australian Women in Wine Symposium in Sydney, Nov. 16 (Rebecca)

Wine2Wine in Verona, Italy, Nov 26 to 27 (Rebecca)

Guest Lecturer at INSEEC in Bordeaux, Jan. 21 – 26 (Cathy)

Drop a line to [email protected] or [email protected] if you are interested in getting together for practice, a chat or a great glass together. 

How do you drink wine like the French?

How do you properly drink wine?

Do the French put ice in wine?

How much wine does the average French person drink in a day?