How about we journey back in time right here before the Anciennes maisons de vignerons? Paris and wine share a long history. It is a tale partly forgotten yet deeply rooted.
The story of Parisian wine reached its peak in the 18th century. Parisian wine production exceeded even Bordeaux and Burgundy. Paris was once France’s wine capital with 42000 hectares of vineyards. Today traces of this era remain in historic winemaking areas.
Let’s explore this ancient connection where remnants still exist. Montmartre’s vineyard recalls its wine-making past. Planted in 1933 on Rue des Saules it is the oldest in the capital. Emperor Julien enjoyed these wines around 360 AD.
The Goutte d’Or district on Montmartre’s eastern slope recalls the area’s wine glory. Goutte d’Or wine was a high-quality white wine enjoyed by the court. The upper slopes produced mediocre wine for the working class due to gypsum soil. Wine-making in Montmartre faded around the 18th century.
Belleville also boasts a wine history. A plot planted in 1992 in Belleville Park reminds us of this. Wine cultivation in Belleville dates back to the 13th century. Parisians would visit its slopes to drink wine in the early 18th century.
Farmers’ and winemakers’ houses evolved into “Guinguettes” in the 19th century. The name came from “Guinguet”. This was a cheap young sparkling wine made locally. Street names like Rue des Panoyaux recall this past. The grapes grown here had no pits. Rue du Pressoir also hints at this area’s past.
Bercy had a Wine Hall on Quai Saint-Bernard since 1662. New warehouses were built between 1811 and 1878. They met growing wine demands in Paris. Bercy was the world’s largest wine market for a long time. It spanned nearly 43 hectares with wines and spirits.
The Jussieu campus and Arab World Institute replaced the old warehouses. Parc de Bercy still has pavilions and a vineyard. Bercy Village shopping center was built on preserved old wine cellars. You can see old railway tracks used to load and unload barrels. See it from the Cour Saint-Émilion metro stop.
The entire Parisian region produced wine. Chaillot Argenteuil and Suresnes were well-known. Their wines rivaled Beaune and Auxerrois from Burgundy. Clamart Issy Meudon and Bagneux wines were of lower quality. Parisians drank these daily. Vitry Ivry and Montreuil wines were served in poor taverns.
During the Ancien Régime a 1674 decree set a boundary for Paris’s urban growth. On the Right Bank Montmartre and Belleville’s steep slopes hindered movement. Cabarets called guinguettes thrived outside these barriers. They served Parisians cheaper untaxed wine.
These Anciennes maisons de vignerons were part of this world. By the 18th century Parisian viticulture shifted to mass production of affordable wine. The famous Grande Pinte cabaret in the Porcherons district shows this.
The vineyards around Paris were once high quality. They used slopes with limestone soil exposed to the south or east. In the 13th century Argenteuil’s vineyard produced excellent wines favored by the French king. Parisian viticulture preferred Pinot varieties. These included Fromenteau and Morillon. They produced the best wines in the continental climate.
These Anciennes maisons de vignerons stand as silent witnesses to centuries of Parisian life. They saw vineyards rise and fall. They watched Parisians celebrate with local wines. They remind us that even in a bustling city history is always beneath our feet.