April in Paris?! Does it conjure images of cafés and "rosé all day?" If so, I get it! I felt the same and for years spent 90% of vacation time visiting wineries (it came with the territory as a wine producer/importer).

But you might be surprised to see what is changing, in tandem with the changes we're seeing in the US.

My husband and I spend 1/2 of the year in Paris to be closer to our daughter and with each visit, I find more and more availability of thoughtful non-alcoholic alternatives. I served as a guide for an article in Forbes about the NA scene in Paris. And there is much to update since that article was published.

From an article about why the French are drinking less...one-quarter of French people ages 18-38 say that they never drink. Back in 1960, the average annual wine consumption per capita in France was a whopping 116 liters. Today, it's 17.

By the way, that stat is a great example of numbers trending downward. Which is totally different than calling something a fad which suggests a temporary and fickle shift. One of many reasons the NA movement is here to stay? Technology! Seeing a brain scan or the REM sleep or glucose data from a wearable device is eye-popping! (Have you tried it? I'd love to hear).

The photo above is of a favorite Paris-produced bevvy....a kombucha made with fermented fig, cassis or raspberry leaves, rather than tea leaves. Like winemakers, the young creators are passionate about the best produce sources in France and you can even visit and take fermentation classes from them. Advocate for yourself...when dining out, ask for the wine glass!

Wine and Paris go together like the US and burgers, but when your bestie comes to visit you, there is so much more sensory pleasure waiting for you in Paris or any city. Make like a sober lush and drink up all that you can taste, touch, smell, see and hear! (You and your bestie can hire me to be your guide or help you plan your own sober-lush trip to Paris. Just email me).

Game Changers 

I first started writing about "reclaiming" and savoring wine country AF five years ago, and you can read one of my pieces here. Now, the NY Times reports that wine regions are making that easier by expanding their offerings in response to shifting demographics...41% of Americans want to cut back, and 52% of consumers 21-34 believe that even moderate consumption is bad for health. Your mouth will water reading about the beautiful NA pairings offered at Michelin-starred restaurants in Sonoma County and elsewhere. Healdsburg has created a mocktail-trail!

In a piece from NPR, "turns out, a lot of us were not the moderate drinkers we thought we were." Eight or more small glasses of wine per week for women are considered heavy. And 1 in 3 Americans apparently is drinking excessively.

In an article about sober travel getting easier....Alaska Airlines has added NA beer options from Best Day Brewing. And this resort in Maui is doing an NA cocktail menu made with 90% local ingredients, including a house-made pineapple shrub.

An old friend and wine writer has the story on Oregon's first NA wine - a sparkling from Vinum Vintners in Amity. I'll taste it in late June when I return but if you get to it first, please drop me a tasting note!!

Isn't it weird that bottles of NA beverages are required to include ingredients, calories, sugar and other nutritional information but alcoholic beverages are not? Should alcoholic beverages be required to include a warning about the link to cancer? Ireland will be the first country to do so. (They were also the first to ban indoor smoking).

Target tested NA beverages by offering a pop-up last year and now will make the selections permanent, with brands including Ghia, De Soi, Surely, Kin, Athletic, etc. Wow, this is a total sign of shifting cultural acceptance.

Ah, here's a FASCINATING listen...from an MIT neuroscientist...tools to manifest what you want in life and how it works, the connection between cortisol and belly fat, and quick tools to reset your nervous system. Overall, it's a podcast about how our brains are fundamentally wired to survive and that it takes intention (and often a coach!) to point our brain in the direction of THRIVING!

Wishing you some thriving energy this week!! Bisous! (kisses!)

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From my hometown of New Orleans to working with Food Network chefs, to the vineyards of Oregon...food, friends and flavor figured centrally in my life - and got ALL tangled up in alcohol! I didn't want a wine habit running my life, but I was scared that giving up wine meant living with a "glass half-empty." When I got certified as a sobriety/mindful drinking coach, trained in the neuroscience of habits and behavior and did a deep dive in the health benefits of cultivating joy, I realized I didn't have to give up places and rituals I had enjoyed! I could double-down on them! I invite you to visit my site and book a free call because I believe you deserve a juicy life, not a dry one!