Drink like a french
Don't drink wine without food
Please do not drink wine without eating, especially red wine. In France, you won't find a single person drinking red wine without accompaniment. Rosé alone is okay, white wine from time to time, but certainly not red wine! Enjoy your glass with an appetizer, a little something to nibble, cheese, a little cold meat accompanied by a delicious baguette, if you drink your wine outside of meals.
What you drink also depends on the season!
Knowing how to pair wine and food
As a general rule, white wine goes well with all fish, seafood and desserts. Red wine goes well with red meat and tomato dishes, vegetables and cheese. And you drink rosé as an aperitif. What you drink also depends on the season. You mainly drink white or rosé wine in summer and red wine in winter. Of course, it is recommended not to always follow the rules. For example, a dry white wine like a Gewurztraminer will be perfect to accompany duck!
Don't fill your glass to the brim
Don't do it in France, it's frowned upon and the locals will frown! You drink wine to savor it, not to get drunk! These are good manners, elegance and in a way French chic! If you fill your glass to the brim, you will come across as a boor, an uneducated person!
Do not put ice cubes in your glass
Don't do it if you want to drink like a Frenchman! Some people do this for a glass of white or rosé wine, but it is sacrilege because it dilutes the wine. Wines that are drunk chilled are refrigerated and served in an ice bucket to maintain their freshness. Never, ever ice cubes in a glass of red wine, it's absolute heresy! Especially since red wine is served at room temperature.
Make a toast with each person at the table
Now that the food is served, ready to be enjoyed, your glass is filled as it should be to half a glass and without ice... It's time to toast! Raise your glass and sing in unison “ Cheers!” » or “ Tchin-tchin!” » while looking the person next to you straight in the eyes. All toast together once, but clink your glass against that of each guest, always looking him or her straight in the eye.
Other implicit rules for drinking like a Frenchman
The French are chauvinistic, they generally drink French wine. It is incongruous to bring a bottle of foreign wine to a dinner (it's not forbidden, it's not done, that's all!). Ladies, be careful, don't leave lipstick stains on your wine glass. This is very frowned upon.
When not drinking wine, the French generally drink beers, cognac, pastis (an anise-flavored aperitif served with water and ice), kir (white wine and crème de cassis) or calvados (an apple brandy distilled from cider). Always with class, drinking parties are much less frequent there than in English-speaking countries!
