Responsible Drinking

THE KEY POINTS

Drink alcohol only in moderation
Light, regular drinking is preferable to binge drinking.

Drink slowly
Take the time to discover and savor the aromas in the wine.
Consult the Champagne Aroma chart.

Understand the wine you are tasting
Tasting wine is an experience for all the senses.
Discover the four steps of Champagne tasting.

Pair wine with food
Surprise your palate! Pairing wine with food also slows down the rate of alcohol absorption.

Follow the guidelines for responsible drinking
To understand how much alcohol is too much.

Avoid alcohol altogether when the situation requires it
This applies in particular to anyone under legal drinking age (18) and to pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers; people with certain medical conditions and/or taking certain prescription drugs should take advice from their doctors.

In short, responsible drinking can be summed up in three words:

Pleasure, moderation and restraint.

FRENCH GUIDELINES FOR RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

Since 2017, French guidelines recommend no more than 10 standard drinks a week (see below), no more than two standard drinks a day, and one or more alcohol-free days a week.

In short:

“For the sake of your health, no more than two drinks a day and not every day.”

Drinking and driving

In France, it is illegal to drive or attempt to drive above the legal limit (0.5 g alcohol/liter of blood, reduced to 0.2 g/liter of blood for drivers with a provisional license).

Average blood alcohol content after consuming 1–3 10 cl glasses of wine with an ABV of 12% on an empty stomach:

figures are for guidance only—if in doubt use a breathalyzer.

Women				Men
g/l blood				g/l blood
Weight in kg	After 1 glass	After 2 glasses	After 3 glasses	Weight in kg	After 1 glass	After 2 glasses	After 3 glasses
45	0,36	0,71	1,07	50	0,27	0,55	0,82
45	0,36	0,71	1,07	50	0,27	0,55	0,82
50	0,32	0,64	0,96	55	0,25	0,50	0,75
55	0,29	0,58	0,87	60	0,23	0,46	0,69
60	0,27	0,53	0,80	65	0,21	0,42	0,63
65	0,25	0,49	0,74	70	0,22	0,39	0,59
70	0,23	0,46	0,69	75	0,18	0,37	0,55
75	0,21	0,43	0,64	80	0,17	0,34	0,51
80	0,20	0,40	0,60	85	0,16	0,32	0,48
85	0,19	0,38	0,56	90	0,15	0,30	0,46
90	0,18	0,36	0,53	95	0,14	0,29	0,43
95	0,17	0,34	0,51	100	0,14	0,27	0,41
100	0,16	0,32	0,48	105	0,13	0,26	0,39

HOW MANY CALORIES IN ALL THIS?

Because ‘eating well’ and ‘drinking well’ French-style are among the pleasures of life - – inscribed in 2010 as an “art de vivre” on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, and officially defined since 2014 as The French Gastronomic Meal - , it’s important not to overdo it.
Below are a few calory guidelines for “enlightened” consumption.

Follow this guide !

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO YOU?

To get an idea of how much alcohol you consume, use the l’Alcoomètre available on the Alcool Info Service website.

To find out more, visit the Portail de la prévention from Vin & Société.

Alcohol abuse is bad for your health. Drink only in moderation.