Into the vines
Into the vines
Paris Wine Walks is Taste Tours this week, and we're on the road in Burgundy and Beaujolais...
It has oft been said, the best way to know wine is to visit vineyards. There is no better wine education than direct interaction with the people who cultivate, harvest, vinify, bottle, and age wine. And I have often said, I’m happiest when I’m among vines, because vines tell stories.
But there are years when those stories are tales of woe, and 2024 is one of those years where the harvest, marked by a series of meteorological challenges, will go down in history as one of the worst of the century. But even in bad years, good winemakers make good wines, and though the mood might be described as somber in places, the show must go on, and so all the energy and enterprise that distinguishes great winemakers is being focussed on turning a potentially disastrous year into something remarkable.
As travellers exploring the iconic vineyards of the Côte d’Or, we but scratch the surface. And that surface, for the past few days has been very wet and unseasonably chilly. From the comfort of our air-conditioned people carrier, we enjoy a rosy view of things, even through the misting and pouring rain.
As a picture is worth a thousand words, here are some random images of our adventures up until today. Next week I’ll try to provide a summary of our experiences.
And on a positive note, this dictum, a reminder that the benefits of working through the toughest years will still be rewarded with wine - never in vain, always in wine - from the Clos de Vougeot.
Thank you for letting me into your world and for reading the Paris Wine Walks Substack. Your support is invaluable as are your comments, suggestions, critiques, dreams, thoughts and remembrances. A little encouragement goes a long way, so please consider a paid subscription, which need cost no more than (a cheap) glass of wine per week. Or, book a wine walk!
My book, ‘The Hidden Vineyards of Paris’ (reviewed in Jancis Robinson’s wine blog, the Wine Economist, National Geographic Traveler UK, UK Telegraph) is also available at ‘The Red Wheelbarrow Bookshop’ at 11 rue de Medicis, 75006 Paris. If you haven’t yet discovered this gem of a bookshop, now’s your chance. Open every day!
Wine Walks!
For more information, click on the underlined links:
Sparkling Wine Splash!
Share a sparkling, convivial moment with colleagues, friends or clients to celebrate the moment or to simply gather for fun.
Clos Montmartre - Paris in Your Glass
Paris' most famous wine producing vineyard
Latin Quarter Unbottled!
An insider's journey to the oldest wine neighbourhood in the city
Belleville Unbottled!
A winebar crawl that features some of the best winebars in the city
Wine Your Way Through the Marais
The Marais seen through a wineglass
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Discover the vinous spirit of medieval Paris
3-Vineyard Cycling Tour
A comprehensive overview of medieval Paris
Paris Bottled!
Short on time? This one’s for you.
