The XMas Edition: Dry Champagne & a Vegetarian Wolf

Christmas in France means lights, long dinners… and traditionally, plenty of wine.

But something is shifting.

In this festive Christmas edition of So French!, Sara Bertilsson and Stefan de Vries meet Sarah Missaoui, founder of Déjà Bu, Paris’s first alcohol-free bar and drinks cellar. As more French people drink less or stop altogether, even during the holidays, what does that mean for a country so closely tied to wine and champagne?

We talk sober trends, generational change, Dry January, and the powerful wine lobby that still enjoys strong political protection under wine-drinker-in-chief Emmanuel Macron.

And then, from serious to sweet: a French Christmas commercial about a feared wolf who goes veggie has become a global viral hit. With music by Claude François and praise from the Daily Mail, it raises a simple question: is Christmas about what’s on the table – or about being together?

A warm, sharp and very French end-of-year episode.

Happy holidays from Sara and Stefan! 🎄🇫🇷