Vine spotting
Paris was once covered in vines. It is hard to imagine now that under the historic streets of Paris, vineyards flourished in the city’s soil, and in some neighbourhoods, hidden vineyards still thrive. These vineyards often produced wines comparable to some of the best of France in both quantity and quality. The carpet of vines that covered the city for centuries may be gone, but the number of rogue, isolated and lovingly planted and cared for vines in the city is surprisingly extensive.
Win a free wine walk
I posted a piece about these vines in January, which was also an invitation to have people identify and share the location of vines we’ve not yet found. As I said at the time, it really wasn’t the best time of year to invite people to seek out the hidden vines of Paris as, “it’s hard enough for most people to identify a grape vine when they see one (unless it’s weighted with grapes, or in full leaf, or both, and sometimes even then…), so launching a participative quest to expand the list of isolated, rogue and private vines in Paris in winter is perhaps not the best timing”. (My post of 25 January 2024)
But we’re now in summer and there couldn’t be a better time to discover, share, and celebrate the persistence of the vine in Paris. It only requires a keen eye, a camera (and who doesn’t have one in their pocket these days) and the spirit of the ‘flaneur’ turned vine-spotter. Send your discoveries to us by email: pariswinewalks@gmail.com
Recent discoveries we’ve made
We are offering a free wine walk to anyone who sends us a photo of a vine or vineyard we have not yet found. You can check to see what we have found on our website here.
And if you can identify the following five vineyards, you can also win a free wine walk.
Identify these five vineyards and win a free wine walk
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 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.
