French Drinking Culture

France is one of the countries that loves alcohol. As a country representing wine, French people enjoy having wine during mealtimes, which is also natural for them. Whether at a restaurant or at home, with family or lover, wine is always together with them. Therefore, when you visit France, you may want to enjoy French gourmet food with great wine, but if you hesitate since you do not know much about French drinking culture or wine. For you, this article explains the French drinking culture.

First of all, let's talk about the drinking culture of France. Many countries in Europe, as well as France, have a culture of ‘pre-dinner drinks’. In France, it is called "Apéritif", which is the same as Italy’s "Aperitivo". Apéritif, casually referred to as “Apéro,” is the alcoholic drink usually served during the happy hour after work, to stimulate the appetite before a proper meal. It also can be with some finger food. Since dinner time is quite late in Europe, around 8-10 p.m., Apéritif is time to deal with hunger and relieve the fatigue of the day before dinner. Typical alcohols for Apéritif are Kir(a cocktail made with a measure of blackcurrant liqueur topped up with white wine), Lillet, Pastis, Suze, Picon-Bière, and Champagne. With these drinks, people usually have some saucisson, cheese plates, small snacks such as peanuts, olives, chips, or simple cicchetti that goes well with drinks. After dinner, there is also a post-dinner drink called "Digestif," which is to finish a long dinner and helps digestion. It is usually strong alcohol having more than 35 percent proof, such as Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados, Génépi, Eau de Vie, Cointreau, and Chartreuse.

The term Apéritif is derived from the Latin verb "Aperire," meaning "to open." The origin of Apéritif culture goes back to the 5th century BC. Hippocrates, a Greek physician of the classical period, prescribed white wine with some herbs to patients who had lost their appetite. The bitterness and refreshing aroma from the herbs stimulated the patient’s appetite, and this is said to be the beginning of the Apéritif culture. Aim to stimulate the appetite before a formal dinner.

In France, drinking alcohol during meals is natural and an important part of the day. Since French people think drinking is for enjoying rather than getting drunk, drinking etiquette is important. It is advised to be cautious as being visibly intoxicated is not viewed favorably.

In general manners, when drinking wine during a meal, one should not pour their own wine or ask for wine directly from others but rather wait until the server pours it for them. Instead, the server should promptly refill a guest's glass when it is empty. Even if it is not a restaurant, if you are invited to a meal by French friends, you should not fill your own glass or leave someone else's glass empty. While toasting, French people usually say “Tchin-tchin” and should look in the eyes but not cross arms with others while toasting.

Affordable and easily findable everywhere, wine is the alcohol for ordinary people in France. At any supermarket in France, you can buy wine at cheap prices. Therefore, wine is a comforting beverage for the French, whether they are happy or sad.

French wines are all linked with a specific terroir. “Terroir” means a group of vineyards, belonging to a specific appellation, including factors such as the soil, terrain, tradition, and climate. Terroir encompasses all of the factors that go into producing wine grapes in a vineyard. In France, there are more than 100 French wine terroirs, including Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Provence, etc. Alsace produces excellent dry and sweet white wines, and Bordeaux counts for one-third of the good quality French wine (AOC, crus bourgeois, crus classés).

And it is better to know what the words ‘appellations’ and ‘cépages’ mean to understand French wines. Appellation means a legally determined and protected wine region. So, you may have seen ’AOP’ written on the bottle of French wine, which refers to Appellation d'origine contrôlée, meaning a certification granted to certain French agricultural products. For example, Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Beaujolais, etc. Cépages mean the grapes used in the wine. For examples, merlot, grenache noir, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, carignan, and so on.

French wine is also globally renowned. The wine industry in France is a significant national industry, generating a substantial number of jobs and having a great economic impact. It, directly and indirectly, creates around 500,000 jobs in the wine industry, making it the second-largest contributor to the French economy after the aerospace industry. It surpasses the cosmetics industry of France. In other words, wine is really important for the French.