The French also like to choose their wines to match the food they are eating, so normally red wines are served with red meat dishes while white wines and sparkling wines accompany lighter dishes like salads, fish or seafood.
In France, similar to other places in Europe, drinking wine is a social activity. People in France drink more wine than anywhere else and they're notably healthier than Americans – a phenomenon that has been called the French Paradox.
Don't bring wine to a dinner party
Unless you are going to an apéro get-together where everyone is invited to bring their own bouffe (food), there is no need to bring wine to a dinner party. In fact, it might be considered rude.
French people will drink different wines depending on the season. Right after the harvest in September, it's common drink wines that are best served fresh, like Beaujolais Nouveau. Red wine is most common in winter, although you can certainly drink red wine any time of year.
some prefer to have champagne, some to have hard alcohols. some drink a bottle a day, some just when they go out, some just during the week-end. but i found that the average consumption of wine in france is 60 liters/year/person, and that in average french drink 2 or 3 glasses of wine/day.
For them, wine remains an essential part of their patrimoine, or cultural heritage. The middle generation - now in their 40s and 50s - sees wine as a more occasional indulgence. They compensate for declining consumption by spending more money. They like to think they drink less but better.
Counting wine consumption per capita, the three most enthusiastic wine drinkers are: Portugal, 51.9 litres of wine per year. Italy, 46.6 litres. France, 46 litres.
Common red wine grapes: Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre (amongst others). Common white wine grapes: Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Muscat (amongst others). Common rosé wine grapes: Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre (amongst others).
While France is renowned for its pains au chocolat and croissants, Lyon has a long-standing tradition of tucking into wine and offal at breakfast.
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.
It is rude to sit with one's legs spread apart unless in a relaxed context. Rather, sit straight with your legs crossed at the knee or knees together. Feet should not be placed on tables or chairs. If someone is invited to a restaurant or a business function, it is acceptable to arrive at the specific time.
It is not necessarily rude to leave food on a plate in Paris, but when someone is finished eating, they should place their knife and fork across their plate to indicate to the waiter they are done.
Never eat on the go
Therefore, munching on anything while walking around in public places is highly frowned upon. This applies to public transport, too.
Champagne is one of the top French alcoholic drinks consumed around the world. Champagne is one of the country's most popular alcoholic beverages worldwide for its elegance and sophisticated taste.
One theory goes that when wine is exported from Europe, extra sulphate is added to preserve it, so it is suitable for consumption on import. That it is the additional sulphate which causes your hangover - even as between the same bottle of wine consumed in Europe as opposed to the US.
Stereotype number 1: The French are the biggest alcohol consumers in the world. Wrong! The French are not the heaviest drinkers of alcohol in the World. France is in 6ᵉ place among the countries that consume the most alcohol in the world.
The French love their coffee, especially after a large meal. Rather than indulging in milky lattés and cappuccinos, enjoy short pulls of espresso (referred to in France simply as café) all day long. For a longer pull of espresso—or something more similar to an American-style coffee—order a café allongé.
If you don't enjoy drinking wine, then, just drink water. French people love water as well, and will often have some fancy mineral water, sparkling (de l'eau pétillante) or still (de l'eau plate) ready for a dinner with guests. It's not customary in France to drink a soda, milk or juices during dinner.
A typical French breakfast consists of a croissant or bread with butter and jam and sometimes a sweet pastry. Fresh fruit juice and hot beverages, like coffee or tea, are also included.
Adding Ice to their Wine
Unless it's the hottest day of the year and they're sipping a glass of simple rosé on the patio, French people very rarely put ice in their glass of wine. The reason is that the ice will melt very quickly and dilute the wine, thus reducing the unique personality and taste of the wine.
It helps me avoid getting drunk.” Even in the South of France, the practice of adding a few ice cubes to rosé or Champagne in the summer is de rigueur. The combo even has a name—La Piscine—which, fittingly, means “swimming pool” in French.
Physical activity explains some of the lower incidence of both obesity and heart disease among the French. Although the French are not the most active in Europe, the average French adult achieves 30 to 60 minutes a day of moderate activity. Relatively few Americans exercise for this length of time.
The United States consumes the largest volume of wine of any country, at 34 million hectoliters in 2022. At 25.3 million hectoliters, France was the second leading consumer of wine worldwide.
Looking at the amount of alcohol consumed per person aged 15 years or older, the Seychelles is in first place with around 20.5 litres of alcohol drunk per person per year, according to Our World in Data; studies show that young male peer groups primarily drink high amounts of alcohol in the Seychelles.
People in Portugal consume more wine than any other country worldwide, according to a study of 2021. In that year, the European country reached an annual per capita consumption of nearly 52 liters.