10 French Wines to Drink While Watching the Olympics

The Summer Olympics begins in late July, and, I have to say, I’m with all the Parisians renting out their apartments and fleeing their city. If the games were in New York, I might do the same.

Who needs bigger crowds, hyperinflated prices and myriad detours and inconveniences? The best view is from afar, in a comfortable spot in front of a screen, with snacks, a meal if the timing is right and a good, easygoing, thirst-quenching bottle of wine.

These sorts of bright, vibrant wines are made all over the world. But, since the Olympics are in France this year, even if we are not, why not embrace a French theme for the wines?

I’ve spent the last few weeks exploring thirst-quenching French wines — vins de soif or glou glou, as the French say — and picked 10 of them that are great for drinking right now, especially while watching the Olympics.

What makes a vin de soif? All good wines ought to quench thirsts, but that is this category’s primary attribute. What’s more, vins de soif satisfy the thirst joyously. These wines make you feel good.

Vins de soif are also defined by what they are not. They aren’t oaky or tannic, which would impede the smooth gulpability of the wine. They’re not complex, which would require thought and concentration, and they won’t distract from the focus of the moment, whether it’s on the hammer throw, a sprint or how Simone Biles will top herself this year.