"PVF parties" in Paris

I went to stay with some friends in Paris recently, who taught me something about French culture that I was unaware of till now. To give a little background, these friends of mine are all French citizens, who I met while they were studying abroad at Miami University in the fall of 2008. I was lucky enough to have one of the French students as my roommate, and a good friendship developed as a result. From that friendship, I was introduced to all of the other French students who were at the university that fateful semester.

During my recent visit, they told me they would have a "PVF party" at the apartment. Needless to say, I was confused by the abbreviation and asked about it. It stands for (P)ain, (V)in, and (F)romage. Translated, it means a "Bread, Wine, and Cheese party". It is one of the most frequent social pastimes for French people when they get together and socialize. Think of how it is for Americans and the love we have for outdoor barbeques and that is how popular PVF parties are for the French. Everybody who is invited to these parties will each bring along a bottle of wine, some kind of cheese, a baguette or a combination of all three. The end result is a lot of food and wine being enjoyed, music playing, and good conversation among everyone involved.

That night, as the fun was getting underway, I poured myself a glass of wine and took a few pieces of cheese as it was being passed around the group. There was a great deal of talk going on, which was always in French unless someone there was conversing with me. The whole atmosphere was very relaxed and sophisticated. Some jazzy music played in the background and frequently, I would hear the buzz of the doorbell as many more guests continued to come. Each time someone new would arrive, everyone in the party would be sure to greet them before returning to socializing with others. The most common greeting between party-goers was two kisses on the cheek, one on each side. This form of greeting is called "faire la bise". Since I was always involved in these French greetings too, my cheeks were well kissed by the end of the night. A little more insight about these French social gestures can be found here: http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa051801f.htm As the night wore on, the consumption of bread, cheese, and wine started to take on a deeper meaning than as just simple food and drink.

The theme of the “PVF parties” represent a way to come together in a celebration of French cuisine and friendship, even if those present were meeting for the first time. The unifying factors of these gatherings (food & wine) are meant to acknowledge what it means to be not just a Parisian, but a member of the French nation. It was revealing for me to discover that these factors seem to be loved by every French person, for I’ve never met anyone who is French who doesn’t love good food and wine. It all seems very representative of what the French have in common, despite not actually knowing each other personally. Therefore, this notion of food and wine seems almost political and a part of the nationalism that exists in this country as an important shared interest. I could almost be sure that it’s illegal for a French citizen not to enjoy bread, wine, and cheese. Some more background of the relationship with food and wine that the French happily maintain can be found in these links: http://french.lovetoknow.com/History_of_French_Wine_and_Cheese and http://hubpages.com/hub/Cheese--Bread-and-Red-Wine-Diet-So-chic--so-French.

Even in Paris itself, the number of wine retailers, bakeries, and fromageries is astounding. No neighborhood in this French capital is complete without having at least one of each within an easy walk for the residents living nearby. As a matter of fact, on the bottom floor of my friend’s apartment building, there is a space leased out to a bakery. Every time I enter the building, the aroma of freshly baked bread always greets me, making me hungry for a croissant or a baguette.

Of all the times that I’ve visited Paris (with the number now being three), I would always see some sight or learn some new bit of the French language that helped immerse me further into what it meant to be a French citizen. However, this particular weekend, I believe I learned a far more valuable lesson about what the French have in common which a visit to the Louvre or the Eiffel tower cannot teach; the way they identify with each other through their love of good wine, cheese, and bread. It’s certainly a weekend I won’t forget any time soon.