There are plenty of dealbreaker on a first date: turning up late, boring anecdotes, bad breath – the list goes on. For Los Angeles-based actor and proud Frenchman Renan Pacheco, it was his date’s dislike of wine that proved too much.
Pacheco took to TikTok to recount the disaster of his first “American date”:
@iamrenanpachecoFrançois went on his first American date! It didn’t go as planned…♬ France Accordion Swing – MIZUSATO Masaki
Describing the ill-fated meeting with Kimberley, an American, Pacheco first sense something was amiss when his date told him that she didn’t eat gluten, prompting him to react: “gluten is my life”.
According to his account, things only soured from there when she disclosed she didn’t drink alcohol. “How can you not drink alcohol in your life, Kimberley? Alcohol is joy…wine is joy,” argued Pacheco on camera before then explaining that he left the restaurant without saying goodbye.
“I can’t have a love relationship with someone who doesn’t eat gluten and doesn’t drink wine.”
Pacheco’s strong feelings might be understandable, given that the French are among the biggest wine drinkers in the world, second only to the Americans (Kimberley not included).
The video, which has more than two million likes and 18 million views on TikTok, has received a largely positive response, with most commenters seeing the funny side (and several asking Pacheco out on dates):
“You did the right thing.”
“I love your accent.”
“My name is Camille and carbs are life so I already have more points then Kimberley.”
But some suggested that Pacheco should have tolerated his date’s intolerances:
“When chronic illness sabatoges your date. Hugs to the GF [gluten free] in the US by necessity ladies out there.”
Is walking out on a date because they do not drink alcohol, and then sharing the story on social media, justified, or is it just bad etiquette?
This article was originally published by the drinks business and has been shared with permission.