Fishwives of Paris – Details, episodes & analysis

The Real Fishwives of Paris is the French food and wine podcast that flips the table on tradition. Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli and Parisian food journalist Emily Monaco, we bust myths, explore culinary history, and tell the untold stories of French cuisine and wine culture.

🎙️ Launches September 15th!

🍷 Learn about French food traditions, wine education, Paris food culture, Lyon gastronomy, and the real stories behind baguettes, Bordeaux, and beyond.

Whether you’re a Francophile, foodie, wine lover, or just obsessed with France, this is your go-to podcast for bold storytelling and delicious controversy.

Subscribe for behind-the-scenes looks at French food, interviews with chefs and sommeliers, French wine deep-dives, and culinary myths debunked — all with a dash of humor and a whole lot of heart.

Watch full episodes in 4k on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our Facebook group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the baguette really French? (Spoiler: only kinda). France’s most famous loaf isn’t as French as you think. In this episode, Emily and Caroline dig into the absurd myths and surprising truths of the baguette’s history, from Napoleon’s army to Viennese bakers, all the way to why the “traditional” baguette was only invented in 1993, making it younger than most millennials. 

Tune in to learn:

• Why most baguettes in France are industrial (and not worth the carbs).
• How to spot a truly great loaf (sexy baguette ASMR included)
• Baguette etiquette tips for your next trip to France.

The “good” baguette we devour on-screen is from Les Artistes; if you’re in Lyon, give them a try and tell them we sent you!

Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli & Paris-based food journalist Emily Monaco.

Follow us on Instagram: @realfishwivesofparis

Buy our Guide to Paris: https://cart.winedinecaroline.com/fishwives-guide-to-paris

We are currently seeking partnerships. If that’s you, get in touch: bonjour@realfishwivesofparis.com

Watch full episodes in 4k on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our Facebook group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do a runaway priest, a Norman maiden, and a stinky wheel of cheese have in common? According to legend: the birth of Camembert, France’s most infamous fromage. But is that story fact or just a little too… cheesy?

In this episode, Emily and Caroline dig into the rind wars, the myths, and the funk:

• How Camembert, Brie, and other bloomy cheeses got their snowy white coats
• The cheese faux pas that’ll get you permanently uninvited from Caroline’s dinner parties
• Why so much Camembert is bad (and how to spot the real deal)

Nicknamed “God’s Feet” for its aroma, Camembert isn’t just a cheese — it’s a cultural battlefield. We’re here to slice through the myths and tell you what’s really on the plate.

Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli & Paris-based food journalist Emily Monaco.

Follow us on Instagram → @realfishwivesofparis

Interested in partnerships? Let’s talk: bonjour@realfishwivesofparis.com

Watch full episodes in 4k on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our Facebook group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 3: How Do You Build an AOC? Featuring Guest Yves Cuilleron

Is there anything Frencher than wrapping our wine in a bundle of bureaucratic red tape?

If you’ve ever seen a meme about “sparkling boyfriends” or “sparkling anxiety,” you’ve already brushed up against France’s infamous wine labeling system: AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) and its modern twin AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée). 

In short, these are France’s quality seals, the rulebooks that tell you exactly where a wine comes from and how it’s made. They cover everything from grape varieties to vineyard size to how high the vines can grow. It’s also the way the French usually talk about wine, asking for a Bordeaux or a Sancerre, rather than a Pinot Noir or Chardonnay like we tend to do in the U.S.

There are currently 363 French wines with AOC/AOP status, from Champagne to Saint-Émilion, and the Rhône is about to welcome lucky number 364: AOC Vins de Vienne.

To walk us through how you actually build an appellation from scratch, we’re joined by legendary winemaker Yves Cuilleron, who has been at the forefront of reviving forgotten vineyards in the Northern Rhône.

Tune in to learn:

• Why these hillside vineyards are back-breaking to farm and why the results are worth it
• How the region lost its historic name, Seyssuel (no, not because it looks like “sexual”)
• How Yves helped rescue Condrieu from extinction, cementing his status as one of Caroline’s wine heroes

Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli & Paris-based food journalist Emily Monaco.

Follow us on Instagram: @realfishwivesofparis

Partnerships & inquiries: bonjour@realfishwivesofparis.com

Watch full episodes in 4k on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our Facebook group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forget bacon and eggs, in France, breakfast doesn’t even come on a plate. 🥐☕️

Instead, it’s all about the bowl, a ritual shaped by global trade, 17th-century aristocrats, and a serious caffeine habit.

Tune in to learn:

• Why the French word for lunch, déjeuner, actually means breakfast
• The FWOP's take on bacon and brunch in France
• How three caffeinated plants from three corners of the world: coffee, tea, and chocolate changed French mornings forever
• What French people actually eat for breakfast (spoiler: it’s not croissants 🫣)

Plus: Caroline and Emily spill their favorite breakfast spots in Paris (5 Pailles) and Lyon (Odessa and Le Déjeuneur).

🎧 Fishwives of Paris — where French food myths go to die (and breakfast gets a reality check).

Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli & Paris-based food journalist Emily Monaco.

Follow us on Instagram: @fishwivesofparis

We are currently seeking partnerships. If that’s you, get in touch: bonjour@fishwivesofparis.com

Watch full episodes in 4k on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our Facebook group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every third Thursday of November, French bartenders across the hexagon pull millions of corks, unleashing aromas of banana Runts and regret: it’s time for Beaujolais Nouveau, a wine whose release date is literally written into law, and whose marketing has included everything from Japanese Beaujolais baths to hot-air-balloon deliveries.

Beaujolais Nouveau has a surprisingly deep history, rooted in the 14th-century banishment of the Gamay grape from bougier Burgundy. Once dismissed as a gimmick, this glou-glou (gluggable) red has evolved and Caroline and Emily are here to defend its honor.

🎙️ Tune in to learn:

• The story of the man who made Beaujolais Nouveau a 1970s global phenomenon

• The winemaking technique that makes Beaujolais uniquely drinkable young

• Why you might be wrong about not aging Beaujolais Nouveau

• And whether pairing it with Thanksgiving dinner is genius… or just a marketing myth

🎧 Fishwives of Paris — where French food myths go to die.

Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli and Paris-based food journalist Emily Monaco.

Follow us on Instagram: @fishwivesofparis

We are now proud Goguette affiliates.  

💌Want to partner with us? We’d love to talk to you about press and sponsorship opportunities here: bonjour@fishwivesofparis.com

Watch full episodes in 4k on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our Facebook group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch full episodes in 4k on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our Facebook group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Episode Where we Party Poop on Champagne

Dom Pérignon’s French Wikipedia page claims he invented Champagne – but the truth is way cooler than that. The world’s best-known sparkling wine has roots in English cider-making and has a host of intrepid local widows to thank for its deliciousness, not to mention its renown.

Tune in to learn:

• How Champagne accidentally became one of the most lauded wines in the world
• Which glassware to choose and why
• What the heck Dom Pérignon actually did to give him such a reputation

Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli & Paris-based food journalist Emily Monaco.

Follow us on Instagram: @fishwivesofparis

We are currently seeking partnerships. If that’s you, get in touch: bonjour@realfishwivesofparis.com

Watch full episodes in 4k on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our Facebook group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bûche de Noël and French Christmas Episode

It’s no surprise, in structure-loving France, that the menu for Christmas dinner is pretty much set in stone – or should we say, petrified in wood? After a veritable eating frenzy of oysters, foie gras, roasted capon, and more truffle-studded cheese than any accountant (or cardiologist) would recommend, on December 24th, most French people feast on a cake shaped into a log, complete with meringue mushrooms and chocolate bark. And before you go trying to link the Yule log to a manger, know that the bûche de Noël has got nothing to do with the birth of Jesus.

Tune in to discover:

• How and why France co-opted a pagan tradition to turn it into a pastry marvel
• Why we have the English to thank for making bûche de Noël an approachable home bake
• Just some of the most out-there bûches on offer from celebrity pastry chefs
• Why most French people deviate from tradition with a newer version of a bûche that’s easier, cheaper, and a whole lot lighter

Check out our Instagram to see photos of Caroline's Caga Tio creation from the episode @fishwivesofparis

We collaborated with Lucy Vanel of PLUM Lyon for a gorgeous meringue mushroom recipe which you can find on our episode webpage: https://www.fishwivesofparis.com/episodes/s1/the-buche-de-noel-episode/

Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli & Paris-based food journalist Emily Monaco.

Follow us on Instagram: @fishwivesofparis

We are currently seeking partnerships. If that’s you, get in touch: bonjour@fishwivesofparis.com

We are now proud partners of Goget

Watch full episodes in 4k on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our Facebook group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mushrooms Are Fun Guys – As Long as They Don’t Kill Ya

If you see Paris mushrooms on a French menu, don't go assuming they've been grown in the French capital – these days, about 70% are actually grown in China. Their name is a reference, not to their provenance, but to their roots: Paris mushrooms first gained acclaim in the gardens of the palace of Versailles before their culture moved to the underground caverns of the Catacombs.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The role French pharmacies play in foraging for mushrooms
• Why the French word for mushrooms might make you pause
• Why foraging in France is treated as sacred — and tightly guarded
• The unsuspecting relationship between mushrooms and the catacombs of Paris 
• How the Loire Valley incorporates tourism into mushroom production
• Why French shoppers fiercely prioritize hyper-local produce
• How the French prepare mushrooms, including our favorite spot to enjoy them stuffed with snails, garlic, and butter

Places, people & references mentioned:

• La Cave des Roches – A historic mushroom farm in the Loire Valley that now relies on tourism to survive economically challenging times
• Bruno Zamblera – A grower who still cultivates mushrooms underground, continuing a nearly lost tradition
• Café de Musée – Where Escargots à la Bourguignonne are reimagined using mushroom caps instead of snails (Emily’s favorite) 

Mushroom dishes & recipes discussed:

• Duxelles – Finely chopped mushrooms cooked down with shallots and herbs
• Sauce à la Forestière – A classic mushroom-forward French sauce

This episode is a journey through tunnels, traditions, and taboos — revealing how something as humble as a mushroom can tell the story of Paris, French food culture, and what it means to eat locally in a globalized world.

Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli & Paris-based food journalist Emily Monaco.

Follow us on Instagram: @fishwivesofparis

We are currently seeking partnerships. If that’s you, get in touch: bonjour@fishwivesofparis.com

Watch full episodes in 4k on Youtube

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and join our Facebook group.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.