3 French Wines You Must Try This Summer
Looking for the best wines to sip this summer? Look no further than these 3 French bottles.
Looking for 3 delicious French wines to sip this summer? Check out these ridiculously yummy bottles below, hand-selected by our wine expert, Jessamine, who studied at Le Cordon Bleu. Below you will find some important tasting notes along with French vocabulary that you can use to impress your friends while saying santé (you can also check out our separate Guide to Saying Cheers in French if you want to the full scoop on a proper santé). One of the best parts of the wines below is that they are available for delivery across the U.S.A. thanks to Scout & Cellar which offers clean, chemical-free wines produced by farmers from around world. We spoke further with one of their consultants, Anne Reilly (also known as Pure Pours), who included some helpful tasting cards so you can clearly see what each bottle is made of. She also let us know that orders over $99 get free U.S.A. shipping and the brand offers quantity discounts. Happy tasting!
Image by Zan
Rosé
One of the most trendy wines of summer has become the popular Rosé, which is made of handpicked organic red grapes.* You’ll notice its soft pink color, which is created when the juice from those grapes makes contact with the skin during production. This particular Rosé, the ‘2019 L’Original Rosé’ from Provence, France, has an overall fruity* vibe with notes of strawberry*, peach* and white flowers*. If you are sitting under the summer sun, it has just the right amount of crispness so you won’t be feeling like loads of sugar are dampening your tongue. The bottle features grapes that were handpicked at a winery situated within a French national forest in Provence, then placed in temperature-controlled tanks before being bottled. Each bottle costs $22USD and, for our 21+ readers, you can order one to be delivered by visiting Scout & Cellar.
*French terms you should know:
Grape = Raisin, Fruity = Fruité (pronounced [frɥite]), Strawberry = Fraise (pronounced [frɛz]), Peach = Pêche (pronounced [pɛʃ]), Flower = Fleur (pronounced [flœr])
Image: Scout & Cellar
Sémillon
You may not be immediately familiar with this wine type, but it surely is an underdog that will steal the scene at your next dinner party*. This ‘2018 Soleil Vent Âme’ has a golden greenish tone to its color* which reflects the youth of this grape variety. It has a delicious fruity flavor profile with aromas of fresh-cut mango, green papaya* and nectarine*, all offering a lively experience to the tongue*. The grapes themselves are grown on a 500 acre vineyard located in southwest of France in a region called Aquitaine. In this part of the country, the earth* has a clay-limestone soil which helps retain water and control temperature as the grapes grow. After being handpicked, the grapes are placed in a pneumatic press and fermented for 3 weeks. Just after this process, the wine ages for 15 days on a lees (the yeast deposits that sink to the bottom of a vat) before being bottled. Each bottle costs $25USD and, for our 21+ readers, you can order one to be delivered by visiting Scout & Cellar.
*French terms you should know:
Party = Fête, (pronounced [fɛt]), Color = Couleur (pronounced [kulœr]), Mango = Mangue, Papaya = Papaye, Nectarine = Nectarine, Tongue = Langue, Earth = Terre
Image: Scout & Cellar
Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon + Grenache)
For many people, a bold* red wine is the ticket to savoring the summer. If you are one of those people, this Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache blend is just what you need. A deep cabernet color, this tasty red* wine has bold, earthy notes with hints of strawberry and cherry* offering pleasant acidity,* silky tannins, and a slightly bitter* finish. The grapes themselves are handpicked on a vineyard in the Rhône Valley (in Southern France) and, through production they maintain their earth-like quality without any added chemicals* making this a vegan wine to satisfy all of your guests. Each bottle costs $26USD and, for our 21+ readers, you can order one to be delivered by visiting Scout & Cellar.
*French terms you should know:
Bold (flavor) = Saveur Prononcée, Red = Rouge, Cherry = Cerise, Bitter = Amer, Acidity = Acidité, Chemical = Chimique
Image: Scout & Cellar
Santé
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Large Scale French Graffiti
How do you put a painting on a Parisian rooftop? Start with les drones.
French graffiti artists Ella and Pitr have painted Europe's largest work of street art on a roof of a Paris convention centre. Covering 2.5 hectares, the image of an old woman intersected by the ring road around the French capital can be fully viewed only from the sky.
Only from high above can one see how it adds up to an image of an old woman, looking down at the traffic on the Périphérique, the busy ring road that surrounds the French capital. The duo stated that “Her eyes are half closed because she’s very bored by all the fast stuff around her…We wanted to find something with a lot of contrast with the geographic site,” which is full of traffic both by car and foot.
Photo: Objectif Aéro/Ludovic Delage
The duo gained access to the roof through an arrangement between city officials and Art en Ville, a group promoting urban art in public places. This isn’t the first time the duo has created projects like this. Ella + Pitr have created other large-scale works in France, Portugal, Chile, Canada and elsewhere since they met in the French city of Saint-Etienne in 2007.
The new work covers a surface equivalent to four football fields. It breaks the artists’ own record, set with a mural in Norway in 2015. Amazingly they completed the mural over eight days in June using acrylic paints diluted and loaded into spray cans.
The duo brilliantly used drones to create it while referring to aerial photos of the roof. Because of it’s location, even by standing on an adjacent rooftop, the full image is not visible and the Olivier Landes, the curator and founder of Art en Ville stated that “We’re counting on the Internet and the media to spread the aerial image, which will be viewed virtually, on a screen, like all works of urban art.”
The artwork itself will exist until 2022, when the hall is to be demolished as part of a renovation project to prepare the complex for the 2024 Olympic Games.
We hope you enjoyed learning about Large Scale French Graffiti! What are your thoughts on this new form of urban art? Does it add character to the city even though it can only be viewed online? Join the conversation below!
The Ban on Destroying Unsold Goods
The French government has decided that enough is enough when it comes to destroying unsold goods.
The French government has been making steps to become more eco-friendly, and it’s most recent proposal to cut waste is set to affect online retailers such as Amazon and large luxury brands.
The destruction of non-food items, such as clothing, household appliances, beauty and hygiene products will end in France within the next 5 years as part of an anti-waste bill which will be presented to the Council of Ministers in July and aims to instead ensure these products are given away or recycled by the end of 2023.
Today more than $600 million of new and unsold non-food products are discarded or destroyed each year, according to the government, and the prime minister, Edouard Philippe has stated that "We can avoid (...) this scandalous waste.. (&) our idea is not to constrain or impose, but to support companies (...) to ensure that we move to a new stage in our economy."
The PM's office said special arrangements are anticipated for the luxury sector to avoid allowing brands to use the excuse that they are maintaining the exclusivity and luxury mystique of the brand by destroying unsold goods.
France's junior environment minister Brune Poirson promised a law to tackle waste in January after a documentary was released showing the online retail giant, Amazon destroying products that had been returned by consumers.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about France’s new proposed Ban on Destroying Unsold Goods! Do you think this will help France’s economy make a positive impact on the environment? Join the conversation below!
3 Lesser Known Must-Try French Dishes
Move on from the ratatouille and boeuf bourgignon and impress your friends with your connaissance of French cuisine.
France’s influence on the world’s culinary industry can not be overlooked. However, there are some dishes that we think were created so perfectly, they don’t need the latest fusion to keep them relevant. While some may seem “strange” by American standards, these dishes are not only worth trying, they are a must for anyone wishing to immerse themselves in the French way of life!
ESCARGOTS A LA BOURGUIGNONNE
This dish is also known in English as herb buttered snails and no one can visit France without trying these. Snails tend to be associated with the French cuisine, and for good reason as they are a staple food of French families during the holidays.
2. STEAK TARTARE
This dish is essentially uncooked beef, that is ground up and blended with other ingredients. It may seem unappetizing or unhealthy, keep in mind that it has evolved a good bit from when the French made it with horse meat. Restaurants that serve this dish are very careful to ensure their meat is safe. and ready for any daring customer to enjoy.
3. FROG LEGS
Photo: Ruocaled
These became a French delicacy after the monks who were banned from eating meat had these qualified as fish. The peasants followed their example and ever since France has been the epicenter of frog leg cuisine. Though it may seem a bit bizarre, locals state the taste and texture are comparable to chicken, so even if you’re weary, you may still be in for a treat.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about 3 Lesser Known Must-Try French Dishes! Ready to immerse yourself in all of the wonderful culinary creations France has to offer in their native land? Our culturally immersive group classes and native instructors can put you on the path to fluency faster than you might think! Click below to learn more.
The Expansion of French Language Classes
Montreal offers an expansion to French education with multiple budget increases to help more people learn French.
In a new proposal by the immigration ministry of Montreal, $70.3 million will be added to the existing funding for French instruction within the ministry, bringing the total to $170 million annually. Access to the courses will be expanded to include immigrants who have been in Canada longer than 5 years.
Quebec Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette announced as well that the weekly allowance offered participants in full-time French courses will be increased to $185 from $141. And part-time participants, who received no allowance, will now receive $15 for each day of training.
Child and disability care allowances for part-time participants also rise to $9 a day from $7. The expansion of the classes will see an additional 80 French teachers hired, an increase of 17%. The additional funding is hopes to create 300 extra French-class spaces for immigrants.
The province also hopes to reach an additional 4,500 immigrants annually through the expansion and contribute to the full-time French instruction of 17,500 a year. Stéphane Forget, head of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, said he believed the measures will “permit a more rapid and easier integration of immigrant workers into businesses in all the regions of Quebec.”
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about how Montreal is implementing The Expansion of French Language Classes! Looking to improve your own French proficiency? Our native instructors and culturally immersive classes are sure to put you on the path to fluency faster than you may have ever thought possible. Click below to learn more!
French Day of Music
A collaboration between Egyptian and French musicians for a government sponsored musical on the longest day of the year? Sign us up!
The French Institute in Egypt will hold the 2019 edition of the Music Day at Al Azhar Park on June 20th. However, if you’re looking for a lineup, you may be out of luck. The Egyptian and French artists that will partake in the festival are usually discovered on that day.
This year's edition will focus on Rai and its late iconic performer Rashid Taha while featuring a unique variety of artists including the Egyptian musical band El-dor el-Awal (First floor), French - Algerian singer Soufiane Saidi and French Mazzleda team. The closing set will be performed by DJ Countess.
Music Day is an annual music celebration that takes place on June 21 where citizens of some cities are allowed and encouraged to play music outside in their neighborhoods or in public spaces such as parks. Many free concerts are also organized, where musicians perform for fun as there is no payment involved.
Organizers ensured that Music Day takes place on the day of the summer solstice and was originated in Paris in 1982 by French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, and Maurice Fleuret, and since then, it has been celebrated in 120 countries around the world.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the French Day of Music! Want to hear some of our favorite French hits? Listen to the official JP Linguistics Spotify playlist below!
The French LGBTQ+ Reproductive Rights Debate
Women of all persuasions will soon share the same reproductive rights previously guaranteed only for those in heterosexual couples.
France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced to the National Assembly on Wednesday that by the end of September that Parliament will be reviewing a bill that will include an extension of medically assisted reproduction for all women, including those who are single and lesbian couples which was one of President Emmanuel Macron’s main campaign promises. The prime minister said that the bill was ready, but the content of it was still to be made public.
Minister of Justice Nicole Belloubet spoke to French radio France Inter about the 3 options being considered: "Either we extend the current legal regime to homosexual couples and single women or we create a special status for all children born from IVF with a third donor or we create a special status only for female couples and single women."
Another major point of debate will be the children's access to their origins, thus allowing all French citizens access to records about how, when, and where they were conceived. The details of this discussion are still under wraps, but should the bill pass, it will be a milestone for the fight for reproductive rights transparency.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about The French LGBTQ+ Reproductive Rights Debate! What are your thoughts on this new bill? Join the conversation below!
Budget Friendly Luxury French Flights
Coach is cramped. Treat yourself and upgrade your flight without breaking the bank.
Looking to take a luxury trip to France this summer without breaking the budget? If you’re willing to depart from New York City, you’re in luck! La Compagnie has announced round-trip flights from New York to Paris for just $1,000 on their business-class only fleet.
The airline launched in 2014 as a business-only option for those making the trip across the Atlantic and haven’t stopped innovating since. In September 2017, the airline announced that it was offering all-you-can-fly passes for its Newark to Paris route, costing $40,000 per year. In 2018, La Compagnie relocated its Paris operations from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Orly Airport and announced a new seasonal service to Nice Côte d'Azur Airport from Newark. Most recently, in May 2019, the airline took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo which has caused quite a conversation in the airline industry.
Why the excitement about this jet? For starters, every seat on board becomes a fully lie-flat bed and free and unlimited Wi-Fi for all passengers. The deal also includes lounge access at the airports on either side, two checked bags, wine and champagne on board, noise canceling in-flight headsets, and, best of all, a Maison Kayser croissant in your sea upon arrival.
Not ready to pull the trigger just yet? Be sure to check in on their official site for more promotions!
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France's Fast Food Epidemic
A global culinary capital is quickly succumbing to the convenience of a burger mcdo.
French food is known to be so amazing that UNESCO has declared it an important part of the world’s cultural heritage. While France’s eating habits have been known around the world for portion control, the use of basic foods and very few processed or fast foods, late last month a new report suggest that 30 million people could be obese in the country by 2030 due to fast food giants such as McDonalds that have begun to be a popular choice in many areas of both urban and suburban France.
Twenty years ago, José Bové, a sheep farmer, famously dismantled a half-built McDonald’s at Millau in southern France starting a national crusade against “la malbouffe” or junk food. However, it has been proven that France loves burgers as a survey published earlier this year by Gira Conseil has shown that the country’s 66 million people consumed 1.46 billion of them in 2017 and that the famous American export is featured on the menus of 85% of French restaurants. Bernard Boutboul, Gira Conseil’s managing director, describes the burger’s seemingly unstoppable rise in France as “a euphoria, a craze” that has now started to verge on “hysteria.”
France’s 32,000 fast-food outlets now represent 60% of the entire French restaurant business as healthy food is very rarely cheap in France. The country’s food processing and distribution firms are big and powerful and French eating habits are no longer a model of good eating.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about France’s Fast Food Epidemic. What are your thoughts on the changing landscape of modern French eating habits? Join the conversation below!
4 French Fashion Brands You Must Know
There’s more to la mode française than Hermès and Louis Vuitton.
The French have been responsible for some of the most famous fashion brands in the world including: Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Pigalle, and Chanel to name a few. In the world of flashy high fashion, it is easy to miss some of the hidden gems of what France has to offer, so we’ve put together a list of 4 brands you shouldn’t sleep on this year.
The Kooples:
The Kooples is well known as the goalpost for casual French fashion. They incorporate everything from slouchy tees, to wrap dresses, to lace-up platform boots. Their website even gives you specific notes on how to pair your ensemble perfectly for the ultimate French look (as well as a fair amount of je ne sais quoi).
Sézane:
This small French powerhouse launched their store in the NOLITA neighborhood of New York City only one ago, and have been making waves since they opened shop. Founder, Morgane Sezalory began selling her sister’s vintage clothing in 2004 off Ebay and with a little luck, and a keen sense of what the market craves, the brand has grown into the online shopping megastore it is now.
Musier Paris:
Founded by fashion darling AnneLaure Mais, this collection contains the best in French style incorporating gingham jumpsuits, off-the-shoulder dresses, beaded mini bags, and straw kitten heels. It’s fairly new still with only 2 seasons under their fashionable belt, it would be a good idea to start stocking up before the rest of the fashion hungry world catches the drift.
Veja:
Veja is taking the footwear world slowly but surely by using ecological and fair trade conditions and by crafting their shoes with cooperatives of small producers and social associations in Brazil and France. Ethics are valued highly at Veja as they have just released a line of vegan sneakers to conscious consumers.
We hope you’ve enjoyed 4 French Fashion Brands You Must Know! Now that you’ve mastered the French wardrobe, why not master the French language? Our native instructors and culturally immersive group classes are sure to put you on the path to fluency faster than you may have ever thought possible. Click below to learn more!
The French Streaming Service War
An alliance between France’s three biggest TV networks to protect the country’s art against an onslaught of American entertainment.
France has long defended its ‘exception culturelle' with subsidies, quotas and tax breaks to protect French films, music and television from the ravages of a market economy. Now it is preparing to go to battle against the America-based streaming giant, Netflix.
France’s three biggest broadcasters have set aside their rivalry to form an unprecedented alliance to take on the American colossus with encouragement from the government.
France Télévisions, the state-owned public service network, is joining forces with the main private network, TF1, and M6 to launch a subscription service called Salto next year offering a catalogue of French TV shows and original content.
Despite the negative reception from state-subsidized local media when Netflix launched in France, the service has gained 3.5 million subscribers in the country. Salto’s initial £45 million budget is dwarfed by the £6 billion Netflix is spending on content this year with hopes that Salto can work as long as it doesn’t position itself as a competitor but as an alternative to Netflix. Salto will also need the green light from Brussels, to ensure that it does not breach EU competition rules. Despite their efforts to appease the French film industry by producing content exclusively for France, it didn’t save Netflix from being banned from the Cannes Festival, which ruled that its films could only compete if they had first been shown in French cinemas. In 2017, Netflix had 2 films nominated for the Palme d’Or award: Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories. Under pressure from the The Federation of French Cinemas (FNCF), festival organizers announced that in future only films with a cinematic release in France will be eligible for the prize and in 2018, Cannes officials banned Netflix from the competition. This all stems from The French cultural exception.
In France, cinema tickets are taxed and the funds raised subsidizes the country’s domestic film industry. Netflix’s distribution model would drain the French cinema of their funds. In addition, Under the organization’s regulations, a film must take no less than 36 months from cinematic release to its debut on an online streaming service which would be completely incompatible with Netflix’s business model. In spite of these setbacks, Netflix is continuing to produce more French-language series which will premier in late 2018.
We hope you've enjoyed learning about The French Streaming Service War! Do you think this will help or hurt the French cinema? Join the conversation below!
Getting Past the Musical Gatekeepers
A technological innovation in an industry filled with red tape.
There is a new contender in the world of online platforms aimed to aid independent musical artists in bypassing the gatekeepers of the music industry.
For independent musicians, a variety of challenges often stand in the way of promoting their work. Fortunately, a new startup called Tunetrax offers a simple solution: one platform to act as an artist’s hub for all web based outlets including website, social media management hub, and a direct line to connections in the music industry.
Tunetrax aims for musicians to build successful careers through the use of one dashboard that helps musicians publish, distribute, and promote audio, among other things, automatically update their social media, and interact with and sell directly with fans.
French entrepreneur, Rémi Jourdan witnessed the struggles of both the talent buying and musician perspective which prompted him developed this one-stop music platform. Everything is instantly shareable onto all the major social networks and helps the musicians connect with fans, agents, venues, and other industry figures.
We hope you've enjoyed learning about Getting Past the Musical Gatekeepers! How do you think continued development of services like Tunetrax will affect the music industry? Join the conversation below!
6 Floors of French Cuisine
Old school French cooking meets new school Silicon Valley tech.
San Francisco is putting French food on the map in one of the most innovative ways imaginable. James Beard and chef Claude Le Tohi’s new 6 floor restaurant ONE65, is set to open this coming fall.
ONE65 Patisserie has filled the first and second floors with classic French pastries as well as breakfast and lunch offerings. The third floor will house a casual California/French comfort food, and finally the ONE65 Lounge on floors five and six is the destination for cocktails, fine wine, and spirits, accompanied by fine dining.
Le Tohic left his role as executive chef of Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand in 2016 after working to earn the restaurant 3 Michelin stars. He then joined the Alexander’s Steakhouse team in 2016 before landing a role in the all star team of ONE65. Le Tohic has designed the bistro’s kitchen entirely around induction cooking. “It’s very comfortable when you work,” meaning it doesn’t get too hot, “and it’s very precise.” This will be supplemented with a charcoal oven and grill which is known for perfectly circulating heat at scorching temperatures. From a front of house perspective, it is estimated that it will take nearly 150 people to effectively run the restaurant. However, a group of very hard working, state-of-the-art dumbwaiters will keep drinks and dishes flowing between all the floors. On the fourth floor lounge, the dumbwaiter will even open into the wine cellar so the team can use it to ferry bottles and glasses up and down.
As a guest, one can expect an evening of decadence starting immediately after embarking on the elevator to the second floor, which will be flooded by the scent and sight of nothing but chocolate. A glass-walled room will showcase the restaurant’s chocolatiers as they make over 24 types of bon bons. “Chocolate is something people like to see,” as Le Tohic says.
Be sure to check the official ONE65 Website as new developments are released.
We hope you've enjoyed learning about the newest exciting addition to the world of French cuisine in the states with 6 Floors of French Cuisine! Which floor are you most excited to visit? Join the conversation below and let us know!
French Fashion & Waste Elimination
A future ban on throwing away unsold clothing in the name of environmental protection.
Just 2 years ago, France became the first country to pass a law preventing supermarkets from throwing away or destroying unsold food (which can be read about in our article "Closing the French Food Loop"), and now French lawmakers are working to implement the same strategy for clothing. The effort states that by 2019 brands would be banned from throwing away unsold clothing into landfills or through incineration, bust must instead implement them in sustainable ways including recycling or donating to charity shops.
The initiative is encompassed as part of the proposed Circular Economy Roadmap, which includes 50 measures for France to become a more sustainable economy and specifically moves away from a linear “take, make, dispose” model towards a model of restoration and regeneration.
According to the European Clothing Action Plan, last year Europeans consumed nearly 6.5 million tons of clothing and France alone discards 600,000 tons every year with only 25% actually ending up in recycling bins or charity shops.
While the proposal has not yet completely been outlined, it may include potential tax breaks for companies that re-use or recycle clothing, but it is not likely to ever become a law, but rather an incentivized proposal. Francois Souchethas, lead of the Circular Fibres Initiative at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, stated that “Now is the time for the fashion industry to ensure their products are used more [and that], whether it’s through pressure from legislators or consumers, a lot of signals say the time is right for the industry to rethink their business model.”
While this incentive may prove to be positive for a large number of French fashion companies, some may find it tougher to implement the new measures. Last year, H&M was accused of burning 12 tons of unsold clothing per year and Louis Vuitton has long been rumored to burn all unsold bags instead of discounted items in outlet stores. While the new circular economy incentive only addresses textiles, lawmakers hope that luxury brands will consider alternative recycling methods, rather than donating unsold clothing, to avoid brand dilution.
Care to check out a few brands that are already ahead of the game? Check out our article, "FROM HEAD TO TOE: A LOOK AT 2 SUSTAINABLE FRENCH FASHION COMPANIES!"
We hope you've enjoyed learning about French Fashion & Waste Elimination! What are your thoughts on this effort by French lawmakers as a way to create a more "circular economy?" Join the conversation below!
The Autonomous Pizzaiolo
You can program the pie-spinning, but not the amore.
Robots have become an integral part of almost every industry in the modern world, so it should come as no surprise that pizza robots are now a thing (not robots made of pizza, but ones that make them).
French start-up, Ekim, is leading the way with the new concept of a pizzaiolo robot. This specific robot, usually sighted in car manufacturing plants, is capable of executing all the steps of preparing, cooking, and boxing the perfect pie. In fact, the robot’s gestures have been synchronized on those of a real-life pizzaiolo (a person who makes pizzas in a pizzeria).
The pizza-making robot can deliver a pizza every 30 seconds and up to 120 pizzas per hour, while a human can, on average, deliver only 40 per hour.
CEO of Ekim, Phillippe Goldman has stated: “Oddly, we are not faster than a pizzaiolo as we make a pizza in 4 minutes and 30 seconds, because the pizzas are made on demand in front of the customer, we take time to cook them well, to put the ingredients. But the robots have three arms, can co-ordinate their tasks and make several pizzas at once.”
Photo: REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
But it’s not all about being fast. All the ingredients offered to the customers are organic and carefully selected in France and Italy.
The idea sprouted in the heads of two French engineers as they were still in university. Fed up with eating low-quality fast food – the only meals they could afford at the time – they started thinking about a solution which could reconcile rapidity and quality at any hour of the day. Taking inspiration from the vending options available for coffee and snacks, this new system will allow anyone to order a freshly cooked pizza on demand.
The robot pizza hasn’t left its showroom just outside Paris but Ekim is currently looking for a permanent home for the autonomous pizza maker with plans to franchise their concept in 2019.
As troubling as this may seem to pizzaiolos around the world, Vittorio Monti, head chef of O’Scia pizzeria in central Paris, assures pizza lovers that the art form of the traditional Italian delicacy can not be reproduced by a robot. Although he admits a human will always be more of a financial investment than their robotic counterpart, there is simply no way a robot can truly adapt to the living ingredients necessary to make the perfect pie.
We hope you've enjoyed learning about The Autonomous Pizzaiolo! Don't want to wait for Ekim's creation to make it's way to the states? Our culturally infused group classes and native instructors can make sure speaking your way around France is "easy as pie!"
Élysée EDM
France gets ready to party chez le Président !
Of all of the events one may envision at the French presidential palace, a rave may rank relatively low, but in this case, one would be wrong. The French presidency hosted an electronic music show in the courtyard of the Élysée palace on the country’s Music Day as part of the 37th annual Fête de la Musique, also known as Music Day.
The festival was founded in 1981 when Maurice Fleuret became Director of Music and Dance with the mantra "the music everywhere and the concert nowhere.” Upon discovering that five million French citizens played a musical instrument, he debuted the very first Fête de la Musique in 1982 in Paris. Since then, the festival has become an international phenomenon, celebrated on the same day in more than 700 cities in 120 countries.
This marks the first-ever electronic music event to take place at the presidential palace. Officially dubbed Élysée Fête La Musique, the 4 hour concert is a celebration of “French Touch,” a style of French electronic music popularized in the ‘90s by famous artists including Daft Punk, Cassius, Modjo, Justice and Etienne de Crecy.
Nearly 1,500 people were in attendance during the free concert. However, for those that were unable to acquire tickets in time, there are still many raves that will take place in unique settings throughout Europe this summer including an abandoned military base in the Netherlands and a sun-soaked vineyard in southern France.
We hope you've enjoyed learning about Élysée EDM! Interested in experiencing Fête de la Musique in its founding country? Our culturally immersive group classes taught by native instructors will enable you to dance the night away with a true understanding of the language and culture that has cultivated this tradition.
Origins of The Patrimony Days
Disneyland Paris is partaking in the cultural celebration this year, but how exactly did they start?
This coming fall, Disneyland Paris will participate in an event titled Patrimony Days: a national celebration of French culture and heritage. On September 15th and 16th, guests will be able to participate in an exclusive experience that focuses on history, architecture, gastronomy, and local artisans in addition to guided tours throughout the park. A mobile app has been developed to aid guests in learning about the inspiration behind Disneyland Park in an interactive way and will be available only for the two days of the event on both iOS and Android.
Patrimony Days (also titled European Heritage Days or EHD) is a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission that involves all 50 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention under the motto: Europe, a common heritage. The annual event includes opportunities to visit buildings and monuments that are not normally accessible to the public and aims to widen access to and foster architectural and environmental heritage.
The event began in France in 1984, with La Journée Portes Ouvertes and in 1985, in Granada, at the 2nd European Conference of Ministers. It was at this time that the French Minister of Culture proposed that the project be internationalized under the Council of Europe. The Netherlands held their first Open Monumentendag in 1987 followed by Sweden and Ireland in 1989, then Belgium and Scotland in 1990. It wasn’t until 1991 these events were united as European Heritage Days at the initiative of the Council of Europe, supported by the EU, and finally in 2010, all 50 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention agreed to participate.
References to European and French culture are abundant at Disneyland Paris from the fairy tales that inspired classic Disney films to the architectural style that honors French sites, along with the art of food that is represented in its numerous restaurants.
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3 Ways Loi Alimentaton Is Changing The French Food Industry
Policies meant to protect French food producers may increase the average grocery bill.
The French government has recently announced a new bill looking to change the habits of French consumers and hopefully improve the lives of French farmers.
The provisions included in the "loi alimentaton" or food industry bill, may be received in a positive light by those who consider themselves health conscious shoppers, but those who are more concerned with their food purchases being budget-friendly may be in for a rude awakening. The new bill, which was yet to pass in the parliament, intends to "strike a balance between commercial relations in the agricultural and food sector and a healthy and sustainable food industry" according to France's Agriculture Minister Stéphane Travert.
Below are 3 of the most prominent provisions that French consumers can expect if the loi alimentaton passes:
No More Non-Meat “Meat“
Manufacturers of soybean steaks or tofu steaks will be forced to rename and repackage their products (as you may have seen in our previous article, “What’s In A Label?”) because their names are deemed misleading by the government.
Food producers will no longer have the right to use "steak", "fillet", "bacon", "sausage" or any other meaty term to describe products that have a meat composition of 0%.
French Honey Must Be Labeled as Such
Only approximately 25% of the honey consumed in France is produced in France, so the government wants for the country of origin of each honey to be marked prominently on the bottles’ labels in the hope that it encourages French honey consumers to buy 'Made in France' honey, thus benefitting local producers.
Putting a Stop the Price Wars
In an effort to stop a “price war” that is “destroying value and impoverishing producers,” the government has announced that it will be reshaping the way discounts on food products are organized. In other words there will no more mass-discount promotions. For instance, buy BOGO (one get one free), half price, or even 70% off promotions will be illegal.
The Minister of Agriculture Stéphane Travert stated, “Today, it is the distributors who pull in most of the value of products and who gain from the margins.” The government will also introduce a higher resale threshold for wholesale distribution at a loss of 10 percent, meaning supermarkets will be obliged to sell a food product for the minimum of the price they bought it, plus 10 percent.
While opponents of the bill fear this will mean a price increase for consumers, Travert has assured that the consumer is "ready to pay a few cents extra if he/she knows that the product bought will pay farmers better."
We hope you've enjoyed learning about 3 Ways Loi Alimentaton Is Changing The French Food Industry! Do you think this move is an effective measure or a waste of time? Join the conversation below!
The Most Painted Woman in the World
She captured the minds and hearts of the greatest painters of her time, all while advertising her love of women.
If you had to guess what connected Pablo Picasso, Raoul Dufy, Tamara de Lempicka, Marie Laurencin, and Francis Picabia, other than their status as highly respected artists, would you know where to start?
If the name Suzy Solidor comes to mind...
you might be on the right track.
In addition to being featured in works by each of these greats, she is aptly dubbed:
The Most Painted Woman in the World.
Born Suzanne Louise Marie Marion in 1900 in the Pie district of Saint-Servan-sur-Mer in Brittany, France, Suzy made her name as a prominent singer and actress and opened / owned a popular chic nightclub called La Vie Parisienne. In her cabarets, The Most Painted Woman in the World would sing about not only her desire for women but what she would do to them in explicit detail. The idea that she was mainstream was a wonder in and of itself. As she became more and more famous for her brash antics (imagine an early 1900s Kardashian), fierce opposition to social norms, and openness about being a lesbian, she was able to easily set the terms of her sittings. She would be given each of the thirty-three portraits of herself to hang in her club - a la the most grand Instagram selfie feed to ever exist.
As a result of this persona, La Vie Parisienne became one of the trendiest night spots in Paris. Her fame allowed her to continue operation even throughout the Nazi occupation of France, as it was just as popular with the German soldiers as it had been for French citizens.
After her death in 1983, forty of her favorite paintings were hung in a museum in The Grimaldi Castle Museum in Haut de Cagnes where they are still on display ranging from her youth to her later years where she took on the monicker, The Admiral.
Want to stay ahead of the curve just as French superstar Suzy Solidor once did?
The Future is Foreign, and at JP Linguistics, we can put you on the road to French fluency sooner than you may have ever thought possible. Our immersive group classes and private lessons ensure that you are not only able to speak with ease, but are also exposed to the beautiful culture from which the language stems.
Harvesting French Wine
Breaking down French wine into its most famous regions.
While many people roll their eyes at the idea of summer coming to an end, French people become liberated as they wait for hundreds of tractors to flee across the country in aims of filling their crates with this year's grape varieties. As a particular fan of vintage Chardonnays, we are taking you on a trip around France to offer an insight into Harvesting French Wine. Grab your glasses and enjoy. Santé!
The wine harvesting season for French wines is traditionally in September. However, depending on how ripe the grapes are (which changes from year to year and from region to region), this process often starts in early August and runs as late as October or November. During the harvest season, the vigneron (the person who monitors the vineyard), will help determine the 'vintage' of the grape. For example, if the grapes were picked in fall 2015, then the 'vintage' of the wine (to be shown on the bottle) is 2015. Traditionally, all of the harvesting is done by human hands and is very labor intensive. In more recent years, technology has been introduced to allow for more mechanical options, but these machines have been unable to produce the same quality as traditional methods. Because of this, some regions prohibit the use of harvesting machinery (in regions such as Beaujolais and Champagne, for example). Thus, hundreds of humans make their way into the vineyards each year to hand-pick grapes, taking several days or even weeks depending on the plot.
Each grape has a different characteristic. In the region of Jurançon, the grapes dry on the vine which concentrate the sugar and produce strong, sweet wines. This process of drying the grapes is known as 'passeriller' and makes delicious aperitifs.
Vineyards in Jurançon - image: AMC Photography
Jurançon Aerial View - image: www.vins-jurancon.fr
Dry Grapes Make Great Apèritif (the Beverage Served Before a Meal to Stimulate the Appetite) - image: accidentalepicurean.com
In the regions of Sauternes (Bordeaux), Alsace, and Le Loire Valley, the process of growing the grapes must be done using a special fungus, call the botrytis cinerea or the 'noble rot,' which creates a concentration of flavors and sugar in the grapes. The sweet, strong wines obtained using this method are some of the best dessert wines available in the world.
Sauternes Region - image: naturalsweetwines.blogspot.com
The Fungus (Botrytis Cinerea) Used In Grapes From Sauternes - image www.chateaucoutet.com
Sauternes Wine - image: tourisme-en-france.com
Alsace Region - image: anotherheader.worpress.com
La Vallée de la Loire - image: winery88.com
If you are a fan of Champagne wine, then you should know that the recipe typically combines three types of grapes (black Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and white Chardonnay). The carbonation within the bottles happens during a secondary fermentation of the wine. While many people generalize the term Champagne for 'white sparkling wine,' it is illegal to categorize a wine as Champagne unless it follows the strict Appellation - the lawful term used to identify where grapes for a wine are grown. Legal Champagnes must come from the region of Champagne in France and must follow the specific harvesting and creation process.
The French Champagne Region - image: bloomberg.com
Moët et Chandon, One of the Leading Champagne Producers in the World - image: zastavki.com
Harvesting French Wine
The harvesting season in France is among one of the most exciting times of the year for many natives. If you are looking to get away for a trip to France this fall, wine tourism across the country is an incredible experience. To get started, take a peak at the map below and see the variety of wine regions in France! Have you ever been to a French vineyard? Tell us all about it by sending your pics and telling us about your experience to info@jplinguistics.com. We'd love to hear from you! Also, don't forget to brush up on your French before you go, by enrolling in our Private Lessons or Group Classes! Simply visit www.jplinguistics.com to get started! Happy Trails!
A Simple Map of Wine Regions in France - image: wine-tours-france.com