Rediscovering the Vineyards of Paris with Geoffrey Finch

The vineyards of Paris were once at the center of the largest wine producing region in the world. The wealth and industry they fostered built the great gothic cathedrals from Reims to Chartres. Yet, today, only 30 vineyards remain. But according to writer, wine scholar, and wine-walker Geoffrey Finch, the vineyards of Paris are enjoying something a renaissance.

Springtime in a Montmartre Vineyard with Nearby Basilica

Through his company Paris Wine Walks, Finch guides visitors through 20 centuries of Parisian wine history, with an emphasis on touring the living vines of Île-de-France (the region surrounding the city). Unique highlights include Paris’ smallest vineyard boasting ten vines of Gamay; a private vineyard in Montmartre that produces about 1000 kilos of grapes each year; hidden vineyards in the Latin Quarter and Belleville; and even a four-vineyard cycling tour that brings medieval Paris to joyous life.

A new generation challenges old rules

Finch is passionate about the connection between the history of commercial wine production in Paris and its current, if somewhat modest, revival. A revival that began in earnest in 2016 when the European Union relaxed generations-old appellation control rules inhibiting new vineyards and wine production in non-delineated areas.

He plans to tell the story of the young winemakers who are now producing natural and sustainable wines in the emerging region. In many ways, they share his own commitment to nature and its agricultural bounty as a resource to celebrate and safeguard. According to Finch “Climate change, organic farming, and why planting vines is a ‘win win’ for the environment are also part of the story, addressing environmental issues that are of ever greater concern.”

Working together with Laurent Chalet, director of photography for the Oscar winning, ‘March of the Penguins’, Finch is now developing a documentary film “Paris: New Vines, New Wines: The rebirth of the vineyards of the Paris region.”

In the spirit of what he calls the “David and Goliath” story of the winemakers he is showcasing, Finch is crowdfunding investors for his work. Pledges beginning at €10 (a little more than $11 USD) capture the feisty, small-grower spirit of their scene.

And there’s more. We are honored to announce that Geoffrey Finch will be one of the contributing authors of the second edition of Pure Wines, Healthy Vines, which will focus on natural, biodynamic, and organic winegrowing methods in Europe and beyond.

With his kind permission, we’re previewing a selection from his chapter below.

From “Paris Was Built on Wine”

The image most have of the French capital is that of a centre of art and culture and a very long history involving various monarchies, uprisings, strikes, outdoor markets, baguettes, berets and croissants, lovers strolling along the Seine, cafés and fashion shows. But the true story of Paris is wine, and apart from the spiritual uplift it has always provided, wine was also the original economic driver for the city’s growth.

At its peak, wine production around Paris exceeded that of every other region of the country and by the beginning of the 19th century, covered over 42,000 hectares. For centuries, the Île-de-France, the region around Paris, was the largest wine producing area in the world, bigger than Bordeaux, Bourgogne, or Champagne. The phenomenal revenues that were generated through the sale of wine created great wealth and were the economic driver of the Middle Ages, propelling urban expansion and allowing such innovations as Gothic architecture to emerge.

The wines of the Seine Valley, especially the whites, were highly regarded because the religious orders responsible for their cultivation sought quality over quantity. The wine of Suresnes for example, was appreciated as much as the great Bourgognes. ‘Noble’ grape varieties such as Pinot Noir and Gamay for the reds and Fromental (an ampelographic—the classification of cultivated varieties of grape—cousin of Pinot Gris) for the whites were used most often, and the wines sold as far as England, Holland, and Flanders.

© Geoffrey Finch, 2022 www.paris-wine-walks.com

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