Delving into Paris’ vinicultural past
It may be difficult to believe, but before modern times, the lands occupied by Paris today had many vineyards. The reason was simple. Before the advent of railways, transporting wine and other products from France’s regions, like Bordeaux, Burgundy or Champagne, to the national capital was difficult and expensive. Thus, everyone tended to consume local products
According to a BBC report, “At its height in the early 17th Century, Paris’ wine industry boasted more than 4,450 winegrowers who oversaw a staggering 42,000 hectares (or 420 sq km) of vines in and around Greater Paris. In fact, the 18th arrondissement’s Goutte d’Or, or “Golden Drop”, district takes its name from a wine produced in Paris until the 19th Century.
But Paris’s vineyards would be gradually decimated – by epidemics that attacked vineyards, and as urbanisation saw Parisian lands occupied by residential buildings. By the early 20th Century, not a single vineyard remained in Paris.
Since that time, the City of Paris has reestablished a number of Parisian vineyards as a tribute to the city’s vinicultural past, and to reserve some green space for local residents. The most well known is the vineyard of Montmartre, created in 1933. The vineyard may only occupy 0.15 hectares of space, but it is a treasure to see. Sure, the public cannot enter the vineyard, the main gate is locked, but thanks to the vineyard’s sharp hill, you can have a good view. Some 75 percent of the grapes are Gamay and 20 percent Pinot Noir.
Each harvest, which takes place in October, produces about 1700 bottles of wine. The harvest takes place over the course of a five day long festival called La Fête des Vendanges, which is a great time to visit.
Links
Top 5 Facts about the Vineyard of Montmartre in Paris
A vineyard in Montmartre: just one of the hidden pleasures of Paris
10 Vineyards Near Paris