New
research has found that the British drink more alcohol
on nights out than any of their west European neighbours.
Well, quelle surprise! I could have told them
that, since the only time I get hangovers in Paris
is after nights out with visiting Brits.
The French enjoy their wine, obviously,
but they tend to stop drinking when the bottle's empty.
You don't see them – like my British friends – ordering
another bottle, then another...
I know bugger-all about wine, so
I've always been impressed at the way even slacker
French pals can spend hours in the supermarket bickering
over whether a Gigondas or a Morgon might best accompany,
say, a barbecue. Oenophilia comes naturally to them.
It seems to have been inculcated since babyhood. A
mere sip is all they need to know that the bottle from
which I have |
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Oenophilia comes naturally.
It seems to have been inculcated since babyhood
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been contentedly
glugging for the past 10 minutes is hopelessly corked and
needs to be poured away forthwith.
One of the most mortifying moments of my
life was overhearing one French chum mercilessly ragging
another about the lousy wine she'd brought to dinner – neither
of them realising that the bottle had, in fact, been supplied
by me. After this episode, I was so paranoid that whenever
I needed to buy wine, I would always shell out on well-known
brands of champagne.
Five years in France and I still know nothing
about wine, but my palate has definitely gone native. On
my occasional trips to the UK I now find the plonk in London
pubs and bars - Australian or Chilean wine that I once would
have quaffed quite happily - quite literally undrinkable. 
FIRST POSTED APRIL
12, 2006
 Last
week: Heavens! They're storming the Bastille |
