SAY IT AIN'T SO

Consumption of wine in France has slumped to a record low, with the average French adult now consuming barely one glass a day, according to a large-scale study of alcohol consumption. In a finding that will have viticulturists weeping into their vats, the survey also reported that 38 percent of people in France—traditionally a nation of heroic wine drinkers—are now teetotalers, and only 17 percent drink wine on a daily basis. The survey confirms a long-term trend away from wine. As recently as 1980, wine was drunk with half of all meals; today the proportion is just a quarter. The study’s authors said the decline of wine drinking was a result of the sluggish economy and public-awareness campaigns over the dangers of le binge drinking.