Flavor and wellness benefits are not the only reason Avid Vines imports organic, sustainable champagne to the United States. It’s also my way of honoring my family history and bringing a piece of my beloved France to the place I currently call home.
Throughout my entire life, my experiences reflected two cultures: the French and the American. It started with my grandfather’s monumental decision many years ago to flee the French colonies of North Africa in the midst of bloody revolution and bombings in the street. Rather than move with the rest of his family to Southern France, Marcel Aferiat decided to bring his family of six to America and join his younger brother.
As the Aferiat tribes settled in and adapted to the French and American ways of life, the families grew and planted roots that strengthened over the decades with travel and birthday cards that define us to this very day.
I was born in New York, and while I am an American citizen, France recognizes my father’s French citizenship passed on to his children. I am also a French citizen, speak as fluent French as I can, and visited France many times as a resident, student, traveler, and even tourist.
Once I completed my college studies in France, I returned to the U.S. and found myself wondering constantly why I didn’t live in the country I loved so much. After much longing and too much grousing on one occasion, a Dutch friend of mine prompted a revelation when he finally said to me, “Look, stop pining for what you don’t have. The grass is always greener someplace else. If you love France so much, then make France where you are – right here, right now.”
And that’s exactly what I did. I created a French experience in Atlanta, cooking the dishes I love in my own kitchen, growing the herbs in my yard that scented the air I breathe, and sharing the values and perspective I learned in France with my wife, Stephanie, and our children. Steph has embraced the French culture, gained an understanding of the language, and joins me in raising our girls with a French way of life. As babies, our daughters picked up French words and phrases, learning to speak two languages at once. As a family, we have traveled many times to visit relatives in France and subsequently they have all developed a love for all things French.
MY DAUGHTERS HAVE EMBRACED FRENCH CULTURE AS WE’VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO TRAVEL TO MY BELOVED COUNTRY SEVERAL TIMES AS A FAMILY. (VIEUX, NICE, FRANCE, 2016)
I’ve curated my life to bridge the gap across the ocean, and now, with AVID Vines, I’m sharing the joy of French culture with every drop of champagne I import from that beautiful and bountiful region of France.
CHAMPAGNE PAIRED WITH JUST THE RIGHT FLAVORS BRINGS MY FAMILY TOGETHER IN OUR ATLANTA HOME TO CREATE MEMORIES AND BUILD BONDS.