Where to go for a wine tasting in Paris
Paris is one of the world’s great cities, and France is one of the globe’s leading wine countries. In fact, you could argue that France is the number one wine country, given the strong influence of French grape varieties across the wine world, and also that many of the most celebrated fine wines come from regions such as Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne. So it’s natural if you are visiting Paris that you might want to explore the French wine scene and book a wine tasting in Paris. In this short article, I’ll look at some ways of doing this.
One way of exploring French wine while you are visiting is the more organic approach: in the process of dining out during your stay, you’ll come across a lot of wine lists that will inevitably be dominated by French wines. In fact, because of the strength of French wine, you’d be hard pressed to find any non-French wines on these lists. If wine is your focus, then you might want to fine-tune your search to the restaurants with the best wine lists, and one option might be to consult Star Wine List, which is a reliable guide to the outlets with the best selections of wines.
Another option is to explore the city’s many cavistes (the French term for wine shops), and then buy wines to drink in your hotel room, or for taking out for picnics or al fresco drinking. I remember an excellent afternoon spent with friends sitting by the Canal Saint Martin sharing some bottles on a warm Saturday afternoon in May. This can be a great way to explore wines and is cheaper than ordering them in restaurants – again, get some guidance on the best cavistes to visit. In particular, Paris has a strong natural wine scene, and if these low-intervention bottles are your sort of thing, then there are lots of cavistes and wine bars that specialise in them. Typically wine bars will have two prices – one for drinking in and a lower price for taking away. Unlike the USA and Canada which have quite strict laws about drinking in public, France is very relaxed about people sitting in parks and drinking wine, and as long as no one behaves badly when they have had a few glasses, this is seen as socially acceptable.
But there’s also another way to explore wine in Paris, and that’s by attending an organized tasting or wine event, and there are quite a few options here. This is where Winalist comes in handy, with its interactive map showing the locations of various wine tastings and events in the capital.
One such event is a tasting of terroir held in the cellars of Cave Legrand, which is a classic wine shop that has been operating since 1880, and has a privileged reputation as one of the best places to buy wine in Paris. Similar tastings are offered by other cavistes, including one in the cellars of Les Caves de Louvre, and one offered by Cave Artus et Jean. Run well, these sorts of tastings are ideal for the wine curious who want a bit of expert guidance, as well as a chance to taste some really good French wines.
Another interesting option for those staying more than a couple of days in Paris is a fully organized day trip to the vineyards of Champagne, with 8 tastings. The Champagne region is close enough to the capital that this is a great way to spend a day, and it’s a beautiful place to visit. This isn’t cheap, but it would be a great day out for anyone interested in bubbles. The company who run this trip, Wine Passport, also offer trips to Sancerre (visiting 10 producers) and Château de Chambord (with a winery visit).
And although you wouldn’t think of a big city as a place for vineyards, there is an experience where you can visit a winery, called Pif à Papa. This is a natural-focused urban winery based in the city, run by Fady et Antoine Sfeir. Their grapes come from outside Paris, but they make all their wines in their own winery, which is accessible from the centre by public transport. Visiting a winery like this is a great chance to learn more about wine: seeing where it is actually made.
