If you turn 100 while living in the United States, it’s entirely possible that you’ll get a shout-out on the Today Show, a long-running tradition that dates back to Willard Scott debuting the practice in 1983. And hey, who doesn’t like getting feted on national television? That said, if you’re a resident of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and you turn 100, you’ll be rewarded with 100 bottles of wine.
Advantage: Switzerland.
Writing at VinePair, Ilana Davis has more details on the canton’s practice. For readers unfamiliar with the administrative setup of Switzerland, cantons are the Swiss equivalent to states. Just over 300,000 people call Fribourg home; if you’re looking for a stateside comparison, imagine half of Vermont being its own state.
This is a practice that several local Swiss governments have put into place, though based on the findings described here, Fribourg seems like the most generous.
According to the article, the practice began in 2000. Initially, residents turning 100 had a choice between wine and a very nice armchair, but — perhaps unsurprisingly — the wine option proved to be far more popular. As of 2015, the chair was no longer offered, though Davis does mention that centenarians do have a few other options if wine isn’t of interest — a donation to charity or a gift certificate for local businesses are also on the table.
In 2020, 27 residents of the canton turned 100. The local bailiff, Claude Freiburghaus, told the journal Le Matin Dimanche that 20 of them chose to receive wine. It seems like an entirely fitting reward for reaching one of life’s most impressive milestones.
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