France may be well known for its excellent wines, but did you know that the capital itself once used to have a wine-making region, too? Today, all that remains is this small vineyard, hidden away in the Montmartre district.
Here, growing wine has a tradition of nearly 9 centuries. It was brought to Paris in the 12th century, by Montmartre nuns. The greatest boom came five hundred years later though when the vineyards have spread to cover the entirety of Montmartre hill. The quality of the product dropped rapidly though, and by 1860, residential buildings came to stand in place of the vineyards.
The vineyards as we can see them today were only reopened in the 1930s. Nowadays, they produce as many as 1700 bottles per year, having all the popular varieties like the Gamay, the Pinot as well as the famous Sauvignon.
The vineyard is open upon request. If visiting in fall, do not miss the harvest festival.
Wikipedia (French) http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigne_de_Montmartre
Address 18 Rue des Saules, 75018 Paris, France
Coordinates 48°53'17.78" N 2°20'23.69" E
