Why the French are drinking less wine
A younger generation is rejecting old Mediterranean habits
French schools once prized the nutritional value of wine. So commonly was it served to children that in 1956 the government banned wine in school canteens—and even then, only for the under-14s. France was the world’s biggest wine producer last year. A bottle of wine has long been to the French meal what fast driving is to the German motorway: a humdrum habit, national right and personal pleasure.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Vine intervention”
Europe March 30th 2024
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- Why the French are drinking less wine
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From the March 30th 2024 edition
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