Top 3 extracts from French wine comedies

Wine and Cinema: 3 Iconic Movie Scenes to Enjoy

1) The Wing or the Thigh (1976): “Wine is the Earth”

We start with a classic from Claude Zidi’s film The Wing or the Thigh, where Louis de Funès impressively demonstrates wine tasting on a TV show to assist his son, played by Coluche. A must-see for wine enthusiasts!

2) The Big Gun (1963): “Let’s Have a Drink!”

Next, we move to another classic, though quite different from The Wing or the Thigh: The Big Gun, directed by Georges Lautner and featuring the great Bernard Blier and Lino Ventura. In this scene, the gangsters enthusiastically and seriously drink what they consider “a man’s drink”, wine.

3) French Fried Vacation (1979): “Marius Can’t Handle White Wine”

Who hasn’t laughed at the wacky and “friendly” comedy French Fried Vacation by Patrice Leconte? Don’t remember a wine-related scene in this film? We found one: brief but still amusing. Judge for yourself…

4) The First Day of the Rest of Your Life (2008): “You’ve Just Drunk One of the Top Ten Wines in the World in One Shot…”

More recent and slightly less iconic than the previous films, Rémi Bezançon’s The First Day of the Rest of Your Life is still a delightful watch. The film, which recounts five life episodes across time, benefits greatly from its plot and cast (Jacques Gamblin, Zabou Breitman, Marc-André Grondin, Pio Marmai, Déborah François). Although wine is not the main focus, it plays an important role and appears in many scenes.

FAQ - Wine in French comedies

Which film shows Louis de Funès tasting wine?

The Wing or the Thigh (1976), directed by Claude Zidi. Louis de Funès delivers a striking wine tasting demonstration on a TV set to help his son, played by Coluche.

What is the famous wine line in The Big Gun?

In Georges Lautner’s 1963 film, the gangsters toast to what they call a man’s drink, namely wine. The scene brings together Bernard Blier and Lino Ventura around a very serious glass.

Is there a wine scene in French Fried Vacation?

Yes. In Patrice Leconte’s 1979 comedy, a short line points out that Marius can’t handle white wine. It goes by quickly but stays amusing.

Which French films feature wine in a comic way?

Our picks are The Wing or the Thigh, The Big Gun, French Fried Vacation and The First Day of the Rest of Your Life. Wine drives the humour or a shared moment in each one.

Where does the line about one of the top ten wines in the world come from?

From The First Day of the Rest of Your Life (2008), by Rémi Bezançon. A character downs a great wine in one shot, to wine lovers’ dismay, in a scene that has stuck with audiences.