Are you Burgundy or Bordeaux? As they sipped their wine at picnic tables yesterday, French holidaymakers were able to contemplate a page devoted to the sociological implications of wine preference in Le Monde.
In case it has escaped your notice, Burgundy and Bordeaux have a different social status.
True connoisseurs know better, but the average imbiber is swayed by "the prestige of Bordeaux and the peasant leanings of Burgundy", said Le Monde.
Not by chance are Bordeaux wines named after chateaux and estates; burgundies after villages or abbeys.
Mr Jean-Robert Pitte, a geography professor at the Sorbonne, expanded on the theme.
"Burgundy is linked to the idea of abundance. It is associated with somewhat coarse food, with lots of dishes in sauce. And it is enjoyed with a certain bawdiness by conferies de bons vivants. It's totally different from the reserve and chic, urban aspect of Bordeaux."
Paradoxically, the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes used to make Bordeaux are more robust than Burgundy vines and are easily transplanted to other countries. The Pinot Noir grapes used in Burgundy flourish only in a few select soils.
Our taste in wine may even be influenced by historical-religious factors, said Mr Pitte. "One is tempted to compare the traditional attitude of the Catholic world towards wine and good food with the more reserved attitude of Protestant countries."
He said protestantism left its mark on the Bordeaux region and Bordeaux wine is favoured in Protestant countries - whereas Burgundy is a Catholic region.
Film maker Claude Chabrol told Le Monde his taste in wine has altered with age. When he was young he preferred Burgundy. "Those were the days when we went out in groups in the evening; we wanted to `spit fire' and this crazy wine is invigorating."
However, as he entered middle age, "I turned more towards Bordeaux, which is more stabilising . . . It suits this period of one's first white hairs, when you are looking back . . . After 60, I returned to Burgundy for I wanted to find the energy of youth again . . . "
Discovering a good burgundy is like "walking through a forest inhabited by brigands", said Chabrol. The quality of Bordeaux is more consistent.
Ten times more Bordeaux is produced than Burgundy but there are twice as many Burgundy labels. A vintage Bordeaux is a safe investment and the "aristocratic" trappings of the chateaux make it the favourite wine of dilettantes.
It takes skill - and a penchant for the peril of roulette - to choose burgundy. Nor is burgundy cheap: Romanee-Conti is among the most expensive wines in the world.
For purists, the reliability of Bordeaux is suspect. The wine cellars of Medoc and Saint-Emilion have been invaded by armies of oenologists dictating the dates of the harvest, the temperature of fermentation, the choice of barrels. In peasant Burgundy, such meddling is viewed as heresy.