Suresnes
Suresnes is a nice suburb on the western side of Paris, just near the Bois de Boulogne. Like virtually everywhere in France, it is full of little histories. For example, Somerset Maugham’s father built a “country house” in Suresnes around 1883.
The house still exists and has been described as “very odd indeed – half Swiss chalet and half Japanese, with a projecting roof, stucco walls, and wooden supports for the little balconies”
Sitting up on top of hill slopes overlooking Paris immediately suggests that Suresnes is the perfect spot for vineyards. And indeed, Suresnes does have a beautiful vineyard, which at over 1 hectare is the largest in Ile-de-France, the region surrounding Paris.
The Suresnes vineyard must be the only one in the world with an uninterrupted view of the Eiffel Tower, Montparnasse Tower, and Montmartre. It is worth a visit for that reason alone.
On the day of my visit, mid-April, landscaping work was underway, with a team of friendly workers who entertained me. They didn’t seem to know much about the vineyard, except to say that the wine was not very good, and that the vineyard was only there to maintain the long tradition of viticulture in the area.
The workers claimed that the vineyard had both red and white grapes, “Burgundy grapes”, presumably meaning chardonnay and pinot noir.
But according to the Internet, the vineyard only produces white wine, a Classic vintage which is a dry white wine, a Terraces vintage which is a semi-dry white wine, and an Oak barrel vintage which is a dry white wine. The vineyard produces an average of 4.500 bottles per year
It was interesting to see that half of the vines had beautiful small buds growing. The other half already had their buds pruned.
The Clos-du-Pas Saint Maurice Association manages the production and the development of the site. So when the weather warms up, I might return and make a more serious visit with the Association.