French schools once prized the nutritional value of wine and it was commonly served to children until in 1956 the government banned wine in school canteens—and even then, only for the under-14s.
In 2022 roughly 10% of French people drank wine every day, down from half in 1980. Back in 1960 the French drank an average of 116 litres of everyday wine per person. Between 2000 and 2018 that shrank from 28 litres to just 17.
What is going on? It is not simply price. A bottle of Bordeaux can still be found in a French supermarket for under €3 ($3.25). Some village co-operatives sell local produce for €1.90 a litre—less than fresh orange juice. A better explanation is that a beer-drinking trend is challenging Mediterranean habits. The French now tell polls that they prefer beer to wine. Beer accounts for more than half of all alcohol bought in French supermarkets. Even in southern France, some cafés serve imported Belgian or German beer on tap.
Most important, a health-conscious younger generation is drinking less. A quarter of French 18- to 34-year-olds say they never drink alcohol. Fully 39% of under-35s say that they do not drink wine, next to only 27% of the over-50s.
Additionally, no- and low-alcohol drinks are spreading.
Less booze may improve health, but not necessarily the mood or landscapes of rural France. ■
Adapted from The Economist
