1 . 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: an ordinary habit, national right and personal pleasure.
No longer. 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 liters of everyday wine per person. Between 2000 and 2018 that shrank from 28 liters to just 17. A glass of wine is an increasingly rare sight at the lunch table.
What is going on? It is not simply price. A bottle of Bordeaux can still be found in a French supermarket for under €3. Some village co-operatives sell local produce straight from the vat for €l.90 a liter—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 cafes 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. Le dry January has entered the national vocabulary. No- and low-alcohol drinks are spreading. A younger generation is rejecting old Mediterranean habits. In an attempt to “speak to Generation Z by adopting its codes”, Pernod Ricard, a drinks giant, runs a marketing campaign with the slogan “Drink more…water”.
Of course, consumption of high-quality wine remains strong. But the decline of cheaper stuff has wider consequences for France. Last summer the government allowed €200m to buy surplus low-end wine that producers could not sell. In some areas, farmers are tearing off lesser vines (葡萄藤) altogether. Less alcohol may improve health, but not necessarily the mood or landscapes of rural France.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．Serving wine to French children has been banned. |
| B．Drinking wine is as dangerous a habit as fast driving. |
| C．Wine consumption has long been a practice in France. |
| D．Nutritional value of wine is widely recognized in France. |
2. What’s the major reason for the French people drinking less wine?
| A．Health concern. | B．Challenge from beer. |
| C．Economic decline. | D．Shortage of wine supply. |
3. What does the underlined part “Le dry January” in paragraph 4 probably refer to?
| A．A season of poor grape harvest. |
| B．A period when the weather is dry. |
| C．An organization advocating drinking water. |
| D．A campaign calling for less wine consumption. |
4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．Consumption of low-quality wine remains unchanged. |
| B．Production of high-end wine is lower than that of low-end wine. |
| C．Farmers who produce more wine are awarded by the government. |
| D．Not all French people benefit from the decline of wine consumption. |
