Paris is inextricably tied up with its wine; to love it and know it you must immerse yourself for some time in its wine. Wine tours in Paris are of three types generally and you can choose which kind of experience you want depending upon available time, level of passion about wine and budget.
Day tours to wine producing areas like Loire valley, Reims or Burgundy are full day extensive affairs that include interactions with wine growers family, tastings and other sightseeing. Wine tastings in Paris happen at either a bar or a cellar and there is usually a couple of hours informative session by a sommelier. Walking wine tours will take you across a few wine shops and an exploration episode of a local area.
You can find great Paris wine tours and book online through this Viator site.
Below are the best and most enjoyable wine experiences in Paris:
Champagne And Wine Tour
By Paris City Vision (Day Tours And Tastings)
Paris City Vision, the top city tour provider has nice offerings for champagne and wine lovers…they offer guided day trips to Champagne region of Reim and wine trips to the Chateaux of Loire Valley.
A 10 hour guided tour to the champagne region of Reims that’s just one hour away from Paris is offered in 2 formats. The tour with lunch includes pick up and drop from your hotel in Paris, a visit to a famous wine cellar and tasting session. Next on the agenda is a visit to 2 local wine producers (a large brand and a small producer) and a conventional lunch at Epernay followed by a tour of the ancient Reims Notre Dame Cathedral.
Alternatively a photo stop at Hautvillers and its old abbey that hosted Dom Perignon can also be the last stop. The two wine producers are usually the famous 1743 established Moet et Chandon Champagne House and a smaller wine producer (changes according to availability). Look out for the fabulous Reims Mountains with their lines of vineyards and scores of bell towers (each belonging to a different village).
Lunch is at the La Cave Champagne or the La Table Terriors restaurant at Epernay. There is a fixed menu for lunch that’s published on the Paris City Vision website. The menu usually comprises of salmon fillet with pink lentil infused champagne, tagliatelle with coq a vin, raspberry on exotic fruit coulis and 2 glasses of wine (white and red).
Alternatively you can take the Guided tour without lunch to Reims by an A.C Coach that includes a visit to the Mumm Champagne house (with Red Ribbon champagne tasting). This is followed by Reims/ Notre dame cathedral guided tour followed by 2 hours of floating time where guests can have lunch (at their own expense) and do some sightseeing at Reims city centre. In the afternoon there is a tour of the Epernay region with a visit o Nicolas Feuillatte cellar.
If you want to see the wine making process in detail then mid-September to October is a good time and if you want to see harvesting then mid-August to mid-September is a good time. The detailed champagne manufacturing process is best learnt from the smaller manufacturer who is visited after lunch. Both vineyard visits include tastings and opportunities for champagne hopping. Once in Reims you can try buying/ eating white pudding, langres cheese and Reims pink biscuits (area specialities). If visiting Notre Dame is a priority then avoid Sundays.
Loire valley day tour and Chateaux visit from Paris
The UNESCO heritage site Loire valley offers decadent castle architecture left over by the French monarchy, sumptuous vineyards (red, rose and sparkling wines) and a gracefully snaking Loire River.
On the Paris City Vision tour of the Loire valley there are two Chateau visits; Chateau Chambord and Chateau Chenoceau (2 of Loire valley’s best offerings). The Chateau Chambord’s grand architecture with its famous double helix staircase and huge panoramic terrace and remnants of Da Vinci’s work (he helped create it in 16th century) is widely appreciated. There is a tasting of the Cour Cheverny and AOC Cheverny wines accompanied by some local food in a 45 minute tasting session.
The royal looking Chateau Chenonceau is an hour away and the guide will tell you all about its nickname “chateau of the ladies”. After touring the rooms full of vintage furniture and lovely paintings and a brief tasting session of the in-house wines, guests are left free to explore the vast grounds.
Summer tours do not include lunch but winter tours do. Sometimes Chateau Chambord may be replaced by Chateau Amboise.
Alternatively there is an audio guided tour of the Loire Chateaux and wine tasting where the entire schedule remains the same apart from the fact that there is no live guide (only an audio guide in 8 languages).
An English speaking chauffeur/ guide will accompany a small group (max 8 people) to Champagne and Loire for the guided tours. Contact the Paris City vision agency for guided tours in other languages.
If you don’t have much time on your hands then simply opt for the 1.5 hour long wine and cheese tasting tour offered by Paris City Vision at one of the wine cellars and bar along canal St Martin . Usually 6 different cheeses and 3 different wines are offered and there is a trained oenologist accompanying the group.
Read: Amazing vineyards and French wines to know about the top vineyards of France including Reims, Loire Valley and several others as well as about the great wineries around.
Timings
The champagne tour to Reims by minibus begins at 9.00 a.m. and ends around 5 p.m. The Champagne tour to Reims by a.c coach begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 6.30 p.m.
The Loire valley tour departs from Paris at 7.15 a.m. and arrives back at 8 p.m.
The pre-lunch wine and cheese tasting is a 1.5 hour affair that usually starts from 12 p.m.
Indicative Prices
249 euros per adult and 180 euros for kids between age 3 to 11 for the Champagne wine tour by minibus. The A.C Coach tour without lunch will be 149 euros for adults and 120 euros for kids. The Loire valley tour is 169 euros for adults (192 euros with lunch) and 131 euros for kids.
Route
Reims Tour by Minibus with lunch
Hotel pick up-Reims mountain photo stop- Reims Notre Dame cathedral/ Dom Perignon Abbey- Chandon house visit-Epernay Lunch-local Vineyard visit.
Reims tour by Coach without lunch
Departure from Paris City Vision office – Mumm Champagne Cellar-Notre Dame Cathedral guided visit-Reims city centre- Epernay tour-Nicolas Cellulite Cellar
Loire Valley Chateau Tour
Departure from Paris City Vision Office-photo shoot near Loire River-Chateau de Chambord guided tour-wine tasting session-lunch break- chateau Chenonceau guided tour.
Wine and cheese tasting
The afternoon pre-lunch wine and cheese session is usually held at Le Vin Qui Parle (30 rue Faidherbe).
Booking & Contacts
You can book from the website or from the Paris City Vision office. You can get discounts online sometimes particularly in winters. On online booking you will get a confirmation email and a voucher. Print out the voucher and hand it over at the beginning of the tour.
Paris City Vision agency, 2 rue des Pyramides
Nearest metro: Tuileries and Pyramides
Phone: +33 1 44 55 60 00; Tour Booking Website
Wine Tours And Tastings
By O Chateau (Wine Tastings and Day Trips)
If you like your tours short and irreverent then O Chateau organises some fun stuff!! This is a chic wine bar just 5 minutes away from the Louvre and they have a tasting centre run by a group of young mirthful oenologists. Incidentally O Chateau is owned by author and oenologist Oliver Magny who is considered to be a global authority on French wines. They won the Best Wine List Award recently so the collections are commendable.
They have 6 different offerings out of which the Tour de France Wine (1 champagne and 5 wines) and the Grand Crus tasting (6 expensive wines) are the most noteworthy. The Tour de France takes place in a private tasting room and introduces guests to the concepts of reading wine labels, tasting wine properly, and different styles of wines. Besides the offered wines there is a bread basket and a jovial English speaking sommelier who makes sure that you learn how to order wine correctly at the end of the 2 hour session.
The Grand Crus experience is geared towards people who want to taste the best of French wines. Every week O Chateau team curates a collection of 6 wines (only vintage, grand crus and premier crus) including the Chateau d’Yquem (one of the finest French wines in the world). The session headed by a sommelier in a private tasting room is meant to refine wine knowledge and to expose guests to the specialities of French fine wines.
The tasting rooms are in the park of the restaurant so it’s a nice location. A group can accommodate a maximum of 8 people.
Apart from these there is a wine and cheese lunch where you get 1 champagne, 4 wines and an excellent cheese board and a wine tasting dinner which is basically a French gourmet dinner with 1 champagne and 3 wines.
They also organise day trips to the Champagne Region of Reims in a Mercedes minivan for groups of 8 (or less). The trip includes pick and drop from the O Chateau post a coffee and croissant breakfast and a visit to 3 champagne houses (1 branded and 2 smaller independent sellers) there are lots of bubbly tastings besides a traditional French lunch with the wine producers family.
The branded Champagne house is usually Taittinger and there is a short film show, tour of the grounds and wine caves (4 km chalk caves are definitely a trip highlight) and a Brut Reserve tasting. One of the local champagne houses is usually Verzy Chateaux “La Maison Penet” (a moderate multi generation family owned vineyard and manor in Verzy village). Another one is LeLarge Pugeot that’s a small vineyard producing only organic champagne from biodynamic vines.
Lunch is at any of these two champagne houses with fresh salad, pate, cheese, cured meat and at least 5 wine tastings including Grand Cru’s. Lots of information is doled out including data about climate, soil, champagne making, differentiating and tasting methods of champagne is delivered in fluent English/ French. With so many activities and meals this offering is good value for money.
Timings
The Tour de France wine tasting is offered every day for 2 hours starting from 5 p.m. while the 2 hour Grand Crus tasting is offered only on Friday from 5.30 p.m.
The day trip to champagne starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. You need to check availability; this tour is held 3 times a week.
Route
The wine tasting sessions happen in private tasting rooms in the O Chateaux wine tasting centre at rue Jean Jacques.
Champagne day trip
Departure from Rue Jean Jacques-Reims countryside photo stops- Reims cathedral-Tattinger Champagne house tour and tasting-Verzy village chateaux- lunch and wine tasting- La Maison Penet- Lelarge Pugeot tour and tasting
Indicative Prices
The tour de France wine tasting is 59 euros per person while the Grand Crus tasting is 149 euros per person. The wine and cheese lunch is 75 euros while the wine tasting dinner is 99 euros per person.
The champagne day trip is 245 euros per person.
Ticketing & Contacts
Book your tickets from the website (print out the voucher after payment) or from the office.
68 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Nearest metro Louvre Rivoli/ Etienne Marcel
Phone: +33 (0) 1 44 739 780; Email: [email protected]
Tour Booking Website
Wine Day Tours
By J.B (Wine Tours and Tastings)
Wine Day Tours is owned and managed by J.B (Jean Bernard) an oenologist and marketing guy who uses both his technical knowledge and salesmanship to craft some great wine tours…they are mostly day tours on a Mercedes minivan.
Wine Enthusiast Tours (minimum 9 wine tastings plus lunch)
The wine enthusiast tour takes guests to the junction of Loire valley and Burgundy valley; a veritable wine growers hub for a day of wine tastings, sightseeing and so much more. The first stop is at a cheese farm to sample the famous Crottin de Chavignol goat cheese (area specific cheese named after the place) at the Port Aubry cheese farm. The second stop is Domaine des Rabichattes Champeau (with in-house Pouilly fume wine tastings) in the in Tracy Sur Loire region.
This 6 generation family run Chateau is where JB usually gives a lesson on terriers and how they influence the quality of wine along with the French system of naming wines. There is a wine tasting session with 3 wines and then a lunch at Cote des Monts Damnes Loire village (excellent wines including Chateaumeillant red, Domaine Bourgeois white are offered). Post this there are two other winery visits; House of Sancerre and Estate Domaine Champault et Fils (both at Sancerre).
Read: Amazing vineyards and French wines to know about the top vineyards of France including Loire Valley, Burgundy and several others as well as about the great wineries around.
Champagne Enthusiast Tours (minimum 9 wine tastings plus lunch)
This will take guests to the Reim champagne region. The first stop is at one of the local wine and cheese shops (vins et Fromages) in Reims where cheese aging and making is demonstrated along with tastings. The next stop is the Reims Notre Dame cathedral (not to be confused with the Paris Notre Dame) followed by a visit to the Fossier biscuit maker whose pink biscuits taste best when dipped in champagne. The next stop is Mumm Champagne house (watch out for the legendary wine aging chalk caves) with a tasting of Champagne Brut. Lunch is at Boulingrin Art Deco Brassiere (with good servings of Brut 1 er Cru and Coteaux du Languedoc).
Next is a visit to Moet and Chandon House in Epernay with tastings of Brut Imperial. The last winery on the list is usually Joseph Desruets Champagne in Hautvillers village (a small grass-root level producer) where the end to end wine making process is demonstrated (tastings of Brut Rose, Blanc Noir and Desruets Estate is offered). Next on the agenda is a visit to the church which contains Dom Perignon’s tomb.
The Wine and Country Tour (6 wine tastings plus lunch)
The first stop here is a local open air market in Cosne sur Loire where you can taste and buy umpteen varieties of cheese, bread, meats, fruits, balsamic glaze, Dijon mustard etc. There is free time to shop and roam the markets at Sancerre which is the next stop. Then there is a traditional French lunch at a local restaurant. The next stop is a tour and wine tasting session (5 wines) at the family owned Chateau de la bussiere. The last stop is the majestic Loire castle and a tour of its grounds.
J.B’s undeniable passion for wines, wit and incredible oenology knowledge infuses lots of joy in the tours. He speaks English, French and Mandarin and also takes nice pictures and mails them back to guests promptly once the tour ends. Also, the extra touches like coffee and pastry on board in the morning and little snacks platters with the wine tastings are like icing on the cake.
On the downside, kids under 10 and pets aren’t allowed on these tours and neither are they suitable for guests with reduced mobility. J.B sells a nifty creation called wine luggage….it’s a smart 12 bottle Styrofoam padded carrier that you can use for flying your bottles home. A good investment indeed as most of the French local wines are not shipped to US and other countries.
Timings
Both Wine Enthusiasts tour and Champagne Lovers Tour are about 12 hours long. They start at 7.15 a.m. and end around 7.15 p.m. there are bathroom breaks every 2 hours.
The tours depart at 7.15 a.m. from the Bus Park near Café Rotonde at Porte Orleans
Route
Wine enthusiast tour
Departure -Crottin de Chavignol at Port Aubry cheese farm- Domaine des Rabichattes Champeau (Tracy Sur Loire region)- lunch at Cote des Monts Damnes Loire village – Tour of Sancerre region- visit to House of Sancerre – visit to Estate Domaine Champault et Fils (both at Sancerre)
Champagne Enthusiast Tour
Departure – (vins et Fromages) in Reims – Reims Notre Dame -Fossier biscuit maker – guided tour and tastings at Mumm Champagne house -Lunch is at Boulingrin Art Deco Brassiere- Tour of Moet and Chandon House in Epernay – Tour of Joseph Desruets Champagne in Hautvillers village -church and Dom Perignon’s tomb visit.
Wine and Country Tour
Departure-Tour of open air market in Cosne sur Loire – tour of markets at Sancerre -traditional French lunch at a local restaurant- tour and wine tasting session at Chateau de la bussière- Loire castle tour
Indicative Prices
The wine enthusiast tour is about 249 euros per person while the Champagne Enthusiast tour is about 259 euros per person. The Wine and country Tour is 239 euros per person. Tour prices are inclusive of all wine tastings and lunch plus conveyance from Paris.
Booking & Contacts
Information centre
Porte d’Orleans, Near Cafe Rotonde. Nearest metro: Mairie de Montrouge
Phone: 33 612217777; Email: [email protected]
Tour Booking Website
Wine Tastings in Paris
(wine tastings only)
Location is definitely one of the strong points about the tasting tour organised by Wine Tastings in Paris…a privately owned wine tour speciality operator. If you are there in Saint Germain or Opera or Louvres…the tasting centre (an 18th century shop and house on Rue Boulangers) is just under 15 minutes away; do a short session and get back to sightseeing.
The short sessions are geared towards wine beginners ….people who get confused while ordering wine in restaurants and find French wine labels mystifying. That being said there is a strong team of sommeliers including a member of the Official Bureau of Burgundy winemakers; Thierry Givone (some call him the inventor of wine tasting).
The 2 hour French Wine Tour focuses on getting guests acquainted with wines from different regions of France; Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Cote du Rhone. There are 6 glasses of very different wines and champagne handed out and guests can order cheese/ meat platters if they want. The session is informative and full of anecdotes and wine history. Learning to read labels, the art of tasting and deciphering basic wine vocabulary are key themes.
The 1.5 hour wine and cheese Lunch session concentrates more on pairing these two gastronomic jewels. 4 different wine tastings are paired with abundant Beillevaire cheese and fresh baguettes. You will get a Loire valley white, Burgundy white, Beaujolais red and Rhone valley red usually. Information about wine labelling, tasting and differentiators of each wine type is also shared.
There is an on request only Wine Connoisseur session that allows passionate wine lovers to taste 6 Grands Crus French wines and Premiums that will include Vintage Champagne, Sancerre, and Grand Cru Classé from Bordeaux & Chateauneuf du Pape.
The pocket ready guide with loads of information on French wines is a welcome freebie after the sessions!! All sessions have Thierry showing proper slide shows and graphics which may remind some guests unpleasantly of their office!! All tours are conducted in small group’s i.e. max 12 people
Timings
French wine tour and Wine tastings happen every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wine and Cheese lunch happens on Tuesday and Friday from 12.30 p.m.
Indicative prices
The wine and cheese lunch is 45 euros per person while the French wine tour is 62 euros per person.
Booking & Contacts
14, Rue des Boulangers
Near Cardinal Lemoine Metro; 5th Arrondissement, Latin Quarter, left Bank
Phone: +33 6 76 93 32 88; Tour Booking Website
Wine Champagne and Cheese Tour
By Paris by the Glass (Wine & Champagne walking Tours)
If walking is not an issue then moving around specific areas of Paris while visiting the famous and vintage wine bars via walking tour by Paris by the Glass can be an interesting way to learn all about French wine and culture.
Though the tour is arranged by a global operator Context Tours, Preston and Mary Kirk (highly knowledgeable sommeliers and guides) partners the Paris edition by walking tour offerings “Paris by the Glass”.
The 2.5 hour Bordeaux to Burgundy wine and Champagne walking tour starts off at a local market boulangerie where the history of bread is explained. Then it moves to a century old cheese shop for tastings and a cheese discourse. The next stop is a wine shop where guests can choose their own 2 bottles of wine (price included in tour) for tastings. The wine and cheese tasting session is held in the wine cellar where short lessons on wine labels, origins and history are given. The next stop is a speciality champagne shop in Latin Quarter that only keeps boutique labels. Learning all about different flavours of champagne certainly changes the way you look at the gorgeous drink.
In case you want to organise a private wine tasting and lesson, Preston and his team can turn up at your hotel/ apartment armed with bottles, books and lots of wine knowledge.
The tour ends with un-touristy Paris maps and hand-outs about champagne, cheese and wine that will remind you of this experience.
Timings
Tour usually starts at 10 a.m. and lasts for 2.5 hours.
Route
The tour explores the un-touristy corners of the 12 arrondissement, the Aligre market and its ancient food and wine stores plus a boutique champagne house in Marche d’Aligre. The exact locations are changeable and only shared after tour payment is made.
Indicative Prices
For a standard Bordeaux to Burgundy wine walking tour its 130 euros per person. You get to keep the unfinished wine bottles after tasting
Booking & Contacts
As mentioned the walk is organised by a travels company Context Travels so the booking needs to be done from the context Travels website. While booking select “Preston Mohr” as the docent before completion. Print out the confirmation voucher and bring it at the beginning of the tour.
Tour Booking Website
10, rue Recluse
Toll Free: +1 800 691-6036; Main Number: +1 215 392-0303; Operator Website
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.