When School Lunch Came with Wine

When School Lunch Came with Wine

France, the reigning champion of global wine production, crafting around 48 million hectoliters annually, nearly 20% of the world’s supply, has always had a deeply rooted relationship with wine. Did you know that the relationship once extended to the school cafeteria?

Until 1956, French schoolchildren were served wine with their lunches. Yes, wine. Each student was allotted up to four glasses a day, roughly 500 ml, or nearly two-thirds of a standard 750 ml bottle. That same year, the Ministry of National Education intervened, banning the serving of alcohol to students under 14. Older students, however, could still partake with parental consent, so long as they didn’t exceed one-eighth of a liter per student.

This wasn’t some rebellious cultural quirk. Wine, cider, and beer were seen as ordinary parts of the daily diet, even for children. Officials believed these drinks helped build character, supported digestion, and warded off illness by killing microbes. Water? That was for houseplants.

It wasn’t until 1981 that France fully banned alcohol in schools, regardless of age. A cultural shift, yes, but one that marked the end of a centuries-old tradition.

Why We Love This Throwback:

Because it reminds us that wine isn’t just for formal dinners or special occasions. It’s long been part of everyday life—shared at tables, woven into stories, and, once upon a time, even included in elementary education.

Now, we’re not suggesting you toss a bottle in your kiddo’s lunchbox (let’s leave that to the history books)...But we are suggesting every grown-up deserves a wine bag that travels just as well as they do.

3rd Bottle: Because wine still belongs with lunch, just maybe not in the school cafeteria.

Jeanine is a California-based jet-setting entrepreneur with a passion for wine, travel, family, and fun. A retired Sergeant (LASD) and newly retired flight attendant (Skywest) swapped her wings for a passport full of winery stamps! She blends her love for discovering hidden gem wineries from California to Europe! She brings a vibrant, down-to-earth perspective to everything she touches.