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400,000 people participated in the 2016 Montmartre harvest festival. From October 5th to 9th, Parisians and tourists visited the small vineyard of Montmartre, welcomed the brotherhood and walked the Tasting Course. There, they were able to discover the Saint-Emilion winemakers’ vintage truck. During the weekend, Montmartre became the most beautiful terrace in Paris!
It’s always a surprise to discover vines in the heart of Montmartre. Their history dates back to 1933. To counter a real estate project, the inhabitants had managed to get 2,000 vines planted. It was a way to preserve the history of this territory. While vineyards existed here since the Middle Ages, the annexation of Montmartre to Paris had accelerated housing construction and the vineyard had disappeared in 1928. For over 80 years, the famous Montmartre harvest Festival celebrates the wine history of the capital.
SAINT-EMILION WINE TRIP, PARIS STAGE
This year, the crowd has celebrated the 83rd edition of the Harvest Festival. Throughout the weekend, many passers-by stopped by the vintage Citroën HY truck, in the colors of Saint-Emilion. Among them, a couple from Quebec who sat on the ephemeral terrace:
“We were going to get some dinner and we thought we might have a drink. We had spotted the Saint-Emilion truck. We came back and said ‘guys we’ll have that! ‘(A plate of cheese and cold meat),’ what do we do? ‘”.
The ‘guys’ in question were the sommelier of the truck and a Saint-Emilion winemaker. A smile on their lips, they offered several wines, that paired with their plates. Similar convivial scenes have followed all day with Argentinian, Italian, American or even Russian tourists. Some came especially for the Harvest Festival, others stopped when they came to visit the Sacré-Cœur, like this group of Irish friends:
“We saw the truck and we love wine. It is really elegant and the location is perfect. With the terrace, it is a lovely place to relax and enjoy a drink “.
SAINT-EMILION, ACCESSIBLE WINES
If tourists have loved the truck, the Montmartre hill was also special to the Saint-Emilion winegrowers. In Paris, they ended their tour of France started in Bordeaux in April 2016. The first Saint-Emilion Wine Trip has crossed the South-west, Brittany and Alsace before arriving in Paris. At each stage, sixteen different wines from four Saint-Emilion appellations were available by the glass. For Bernard Bessede, winemaker, this Wine Trip is a success.
“In Saint Emilion there are are Premiers Grands Crus Classés at significant prices, but there is also a range of very affordable wines and it’s a bit of a discovery to the people who come here. One can have a very good glass of Saint-Emilion for 3 or 5 €”.
During the Saint-Emilion Wine Trip, passers-by were also able to interact with the sommelier on the truck. In Paris, as in all stages of the Wine Trip, Frédéric Breysse advised clients, be they connoisseurs or amateurs:
“Sometimes people have trouble putting words on wine, to transcribe their emotions. We are here to give them the keys. We do it in a very simple way. The Saint-Emilion Wine Trip, it’s conviviality”.
