Some acts of resistance happen in the streets, fists raised. Others happen wine glass in hand, among winemakers who are done being lectured.

On January 20th, Sophie Foray — winemaker at Château Franc-Baudron in Montagne-Saint-Émilion — posted an Instagram reel that quickly made the rounds in the industry: a gleefully unapologetic parody of Dry January, rechristened for the occasion French January. No solemn declarations, no manifesto heavy as an oak barrel. Just women of the vine, together, laughing. And with something to say.

This is the woman speaking. Rooted in family land, trained in the field, convinced that wine deserves better than being demonised — she decided to take the mic. And the message is clear, no sugarcoating: no to the wine-free month imported from Anglo-Saxon cultures that completely miss what wine means in France — not a vice to be purged, but an industry, a landscape, thousands of jobs, a culture. Every bottle left unopened in January is a wine grower, a wine merchant, a cellar hand, a winemaker like Sophie who takes the hit.

But what's striking about this video isn't the message. It's the form. Women seizing the codes of viral content — humour, complicity, that just between us energy — to land a serious point. Without moralising. Without preaching. By being exactly what they are: wine professionals who love their craft and know how to have fun.

In an industry where public voice has long belonged to men — the maîtres de chai, the négociants, the critics — watching winemakers own social media with this much ease and impact is, in itself, a small revolution. Sophie isn't posing as a figurehead. She shoots a video with her friends, laughs, owns it, convinces. That's precisely her strength.

The original reel — @francbaudron

Drink less? Sure, why not. But drink better, drink French, drink with full knowledge — and do it laughing with women whose hands are in the dirt. That's a philosophy The WineZine signs off on with both hands. 🍷