Wine appreciation classes are to be added to the French primary school curriculum in a bid to revive the ailing French wine market.
According to a report in UK newspaper the Guardian, 90% of French people under 25 will drink anything but wine, a fact evidenced by a dramatic 45% drop in wine consumption over the last 36 years.
Members of France’s ruling UMP party have opted for a long-term plan to drain the European wine surplus formed since the rise in popularity of New World wines in recent years.
They hope that the new classes, which will teach children about the origins and history of wine making, will foster ‘demand for quality and respect for nature’ and introduce a whole new generation to wine.
The idea has been enthusiastically received by the industry.
Georges Casellato, a Parisian wine merchant, said, ‘when I was a child my father used to give me wine mixed with water because he was afraid plain water wasn’t good for my health.’
The government stressed that although children would be taught ‘the beneficial effects of wine’, the dangers of drinking to excess would also be touched upon.
Written by Sophie Montagne
