French star chef Ducasse declares war on Dry January
It is no surprise that the French love wine and also enjoy drinking it with lunch. Breaking with this tradition during Dry January is something the famous French star chef Alain Ducasse simply cannot accept. In fact, he is declaring war on the alcohol-free month!
No wine with lunch?!
This is not the first time that French discontent has arisen over an alcohol-free wine lunch. Years ago, all hell broke loose when the chef of France’s notorious riot police banned drinking wine during lunch. The officers were used to receiving a quarter litre of wine with lunch; the alcoholic refreshment had even been officially recorded in writing in 1989! And now it is chef Ducasse who is taking to the barricades.
More for less
Alain Ducasse, known for his three-Michelin-starred restaurant Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in London and Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenée in Paris, takes a rather sober view of it: “I am obsessed with selling wine,” the chef told French news agency AFP. He added that he was shocked to see his customers in New York drinking iced tea with their lunch instead of wine. One of his weapons in the war against Dry January: selling his expensive Bordeaux and Burgundy wines at lower prices, thereby encouraging his customers to drink a bottle of wine instead of just a glass. Or even worse: a glass of iced tea.
Support from Macron
France has the third-highest per-capita alcohol consumption, but President Macron refused to campaign for Dry January because of the pressure exerted by the extremely powerful wine lobby.
Image: Pinterest
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