More on 'The Hidden Vineyards of Paris'

This is another reminder of the book launch in Paris on Thursday, 29 February at The Red Wheelbarrow Bookshop

Feb 22, 2024

As anyone who has done research knows, there is no end to what one can discover, particularly when it comes to a subject that is alive. But one also learns that no matter how conscientious and applied the research, you can still miss something. What in all my extensive research was the something I missed? Nothing less than the largest Paris vineyard of all... Which for me, who has assiduously scouted the city from North to South and from East to West, thinking I’d found every vineyard the city hides, is a surprise greater than every other I have made in my viticultural sleuthing. We’ll talk about this in more detail in March. In the meanwhile, ‘The Hidden Vineyards of Paris’ await.

‘The Hidden Vineyards of Paris’ - launch event in Paris at The Red Wheelbarrow Bookshop on Thursday, 29 February from 6:30-9pm

In order to anticipate sales at the launch, we invite you to pre-order your copy(s) here to be picked up on the 29th.

The genesis of ‘The Hidden Vineyards of Paris’ is the series of walks I began hosting some years ago under the banner Paris Wine Walks, which many of you have experienced firsthand (thank you for your ongoing patronage!). These walking (and sometimes cycling) tours have been the ideal marriage of my passion for wine, love of vineyards, and my desire to share them with others. I am always happiest when I am among vines and seeking out those hidden amidst the urban sprawl of Paris has been a labour of love.

I had always known there were vineyards in Paris, but like most people, had practically no idea of their true extent. Over the past few years, I have spent considerable time researching these locations, visiting them, and on occasion, tasting the extremely rare wines they produce. I continue to make discoveries and am certain there are more to make. The parks and gardens people of the city of Paris seem to share my enthusiasm for vines as there are new vineyards cropping up in the parks of the city practically every year.

This is a story that began more than 2,000 years ago and continues to this day. Paris welcomes more than 30 million tourists each year, and yet how many of them are aware that the banks of the Seine, which runs through the heart of the city, was once home to the largest vineyard in the entire world with 52,000 hectares of planted vines? For the wine enthusiast, beautiful and fascinating vestiges of Paris’s wine-producing past remain hidden within the city, with many active vineyards alive and well.

Structured around the vineyards that can be found in Paris today, ‘The Hidden Vineyards of Paris’ includes details about their location, the grape varieties that are planted, and whether they are wine producing or not. Although it is intended as a guide to the vineyards of Paris, their history and enduring presence, it is also about wine, which is a vast study but also a very personal one. Biodynamic agriculture and the evolution and burgeoning interest in natural wines has been central to shaping my wine world view. The importance of living soils for living wines, which I first experienced working in an organic vineyard, has led to a profound appreciation of natural wine. Enjoying natural wine induces enthusiasm (which comes from the Greek ‘enthousiasmos’, to have the god within) and can give us joy, strength, and encouragement.

The untold story of Paris is wine. The city grew out of wine, was shaped by wine, and is to this day one of the best places on earth to enjoy a glass.

REMINDER: In order to anticipate sales at the launch, we invite you to pre-order your copy(s) here to be picked up on the 29th.

So leap to it and join us in Paris on Thursday, 29 February at The Red Wheelbarrow bookshop 11, rue de Medici, 75006 to enjoy a glass of wine and get your signed copy of ‘The Hidden Vineyards of Paris’.

Books will be on sale at the launch, but if you can’t make it, you can purchase a copy from the Paris Wine Walks website.

Buy a copy now