Les Halles de Paris
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Forty years ago the city ripped the guts out of its central marketplace and tore down Victor Baltard’s famous iron and glass pavilions. Now the city is at it again, promising to put in something better than the mediocre park that replaced Baltard’s splendid structures. Whatever the city puts there, nothing can redress the irreparable damage done to Paris’ patrimony in 1971-73.
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La Grappe
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
In mid-September France celebrated its cultural patrimony by opening buildings and gardens that are normally closed to the public. This year’s theme was “Hidden Patrimony,” and I profited from the occasion to visit a 600 m2 vineyard that is tucked away in the nearby town of Neuilly-Plaisance.
Getting there by public transportation was a challenge, but I was up to it: a metro ride to the Châtelet station, an RER train ride to Neuilly-Plaisance, a local bus ride to a spot several blocks from the vineyard, and then a walk uphill to the rendezvous point.
After a long wait for a group to gather, Pierre Facon, the owner of the vineyard, gave an overview of the history of wine production in Ile-de-France. He then took us along a hidden path to his vineyard where he talked about wine growing.
Pierre Facon in His Vineyard
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
His presentation was extensive and quite technical. To be mercifully brief, he has operated this vineyard since 1995, where he harvests four kinds of grape: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Arbanne. He transforms these grapes into sparkling wine, called crémant. (The process of transformation is the same that is used for making champagne.) The 2010 harvest yielded about 780 bottles of bubbly.
Wine Cellar
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Following his presentation in the vineyard, he took us down the road to his house, where he has installed his grape-processing equipment in his converted garage. There, he gave a presentation about how the grapes are de-stemmed, crushed, fermented, and transformed into sparkling wine. He has invested in an impressive amount of equipment, including a manual grape press, a grape crusher, a de-stemming tray, and a couple of stainless-steel vats. During the presentation he demonstrated how to use a refractometer to determine the amount of sugar in the grape juice.
Opening a Bottle of Crémant
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis!
Then it was time to sample the wine! In front of the garage, he donned slickers to protect his clothes from the wet froth, and then opened a bottle. There was a loud pop and an impressive spray of mousse. The wine was poured and a good time was had by all!
A Glass of Bubbly
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Thank you, Mr. Facon, for allowing us to see your hidden vineyard and for your very informative presentation!
Pierre Facon has a blog (in French) about his vineyard. Click here and scroll down to see photos of this year’s joyous harvest.
Next Wednesday: our impressions of the wine from the 2010 harvest.
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Villa La Riante
Photograph by Kealan Benjamin Wardle
To prepare this month’s Paris Insights newsletter we went to the charming town of Le Vésinet where we met an American couple, Jim and Kristie Worrel. They recently opened a bed and breakfast in a beautiful villa that they spent five years renovating.
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Bonne lecture!
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Yesterday turned out to be sunny with blue skies. It was a beautiful day for a protest!
I set out in the morning to find S.O.S. Paris, a group that is protesting plans for the construction of a monstrous monolith on the edge of the city. I had read on Leonard Pitt’s Facebook page that the protest would take place at 10:30 a.m. at 15 boulevard Lefebvre in the 15th arrondissement. It was an unlikely address for a demonstration, but I had nothing else to go on.
15 Boulevard Lefebvre – Not!
Screen capture from RATP Web site
The map published on the Web site of the RATP (Paris Transport Authority) added to the confusion by directing me down a misnamed side street. That street had nothing to do with the address that I was seeking. I should have suspected that RATP’s directions were wrong when I saw that roughly one-third of the streets on the map were named “boulevard Lefebvre.” What, I wondered, had the cartographer been smoking when this map was drawn up?
Esplanade du 9 Novembre 1989
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
After this false start I returned to the boulevard and continued along until I got to the Esplanade du 9 Novembre 1989 located at Porte de Versailles.
Red Flag
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
There were a lot of groups assembled there that seemed to be preparing for demonstrations. There was a group with a red flag.
Blue Flag
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
There was a group with a blue flag.
Red and Yellow Flag
Photography by www.DiscoverParis.net
The Conféderation Générale du Travail was there with a red and yellow flag.
Multicolored Flag
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
The Fédération pour une Alternative Sociale et Ecologique was there with a multicolored flag on a white background.
BFM TV News
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Television crews were there…but where was S.O.S Paris?
S.O.S. Paris Protest
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
There they were! Over near the entrance to the Porte de Versailles exposition hall. (Yesterday was the opening day of the Mondial de l’Automobile, which is being held in the hall.)
Kids Protesting
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Kids were there, too!
Jan Wyers and Christine Nedelec
at the Spot of the Proposed Building
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
I met Jan Wyers, Secrétaire Général of S.O.S. Paris, and Christine Nedelec, Sécrétaire Général Adjointe. They were standing on the spot where the monolith will be built (unless concerned citizens can stop it).
Christine Nedelec and Olivier Rigaud
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
I met Olivier Rigaud, vice-president of Jeunes Parisiens de Paris. I listened in on his conversation about the group’s strategy for blocking the plans for construction of the monolith. It was at that point that I realized that these guys are serious!
Photomontage Tour Triangle
By Bernard Gazet and S.O.S. Paris
What is your view on this issue? Do you want to see a giant pyramid built on the edge of Paris? Do you care about preserving the city skyline?
Take a look at my video of Mary Campbell Gallager’s call to action and then write a letter, as she suggests, to the mayor of Paris. His address is on the video.
The English-language page for the S.O.S. Paris Web site is sosparis.free.fr/p1_s.htm.
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Returning to Paris from a Sunday excursion in mid-September, I spotted a Michael Jackson look-alike practicing his moves while he waited for a train at the Gare de Lyon. He was checking his look in his reflection on the vending machines.
Michael Jackson Look-alike Sighted at the Gare de Lyon
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
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Gris d’Hammamet – 2011
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
In early September we ventured into Le Comptoir de Tunisie, a boutique that sells fine-food products from Tunisia. There, on the shelf, we spotted a bottle of Gris d’Hammamet. We’ve tasted rosés, reds, and whites, but rarely do we come across a vin gris, a “grey” wine. Intrigued, we purchased it and took it home to try.
After chilling it in our refrigerator, we opened it to taste. A dry, medium-bodied wine with a note similar to a poppy-flavored kir that we once enjoyed, it has a brilliant, pale, pink-and-orange peach-skin color. A long finish revealed a slight caramel flavor. The wine went well with a veal dish that we prepared.
Le Comptoir de Tunisie
30, rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris
Tel. 01.42.97.14.04
Open Monday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Metro: Palais-Royal (Lines 1 and 7) and Pyramides (Lines 7 and 14)
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Cachet Uganda 80%
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
We purchased a 100-gram tablet of Cachet brand dark chocolate from Uganda at the Ambre & Sucre chocolate boutique on avenue des Gobelins in Paris. The tablet is made from 80% forastero coco beans, the most common chocolate bean on the market. “Common” does not mean mediocre however, because the tablet gives off a wonderfully fragrant aroma of chocolate. It has a matte finish, is firm to the bite, and has a soft, almost silky texture in the mouth as it dissolves. Even though it contains 80% dark chocolate, the tablet does not taste bittersweet…just the pleasant, intense, earthy flavor of chocolate comes through!
Ambre & Sucre is the sole distributor of Cachet brand chocolate in Paris.
Ambre & Sucre
10 bis, avenue des Gobelins
75005 Paris
Tel.: 01.43.37.39.64
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Metro: Gobelins (Line 7)
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Grapes in the Clos Montmartre
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Paris has a number of vineyards, the most famous of which is the Clos Montmartre on the northern slope of Butte Montmartre. Last week I had the occasion to accompany a group of Danish gardeners there for a visit that I had organized for them. They were members of the United Federation of Danish Workers – Green Section, and they had come to France to tour a number of gardens. The visit was conducted by Eva Müller.
Eva Müller Giving Presentation
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
After we entered the locked gates of the vineyard, Eva gave an historical overview of Montmartre and its vineyard. She evoked the early Romans who built a temple to Mars or Mercury at the top of the hill; the story of Denis, the first bishop of Paris, who was martyred on the hill; the limestone that was quarried here for use as building material; the founding of the Abbey of Montmartre and its cultivation of white wine on the slopes; the development of Montmartre into a rural village; its eventual incorporation into the city of Paris; and finally, the more recent story of Francisque Poulbot, a popular artist, and his friends who crusaded to save a plot of land from developers during a time when urbanization was rapidly destroying Montmartre’s rural charm. That plot of land eventually became the Clos Montmartre, in memory of the vineyards that once covered the slopes.
Clos Montmartre
with view of the famous cabaret
Lapin Agile
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
The clos, or vineyard, was founded in 1933. Its first harvest did not take place until 1937, and since then each harvest has been the occasion for a grand festival. This year’s festival will take place from October 10 – 14. It promises to be a really big celebration, complete with fireworks!
Clos Montmartre 2008
Cuvée Les Trois Baudets
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
The vineyard sits on the north slope of Montmartre at the corner of rue des Saules and rue Saint-Vincent. It has a surface area of 1,556 m2 on which are planted 1,772 vines. Seventy-five percent (75%) of these are Gamay, 20% are Pinot Noir, and the rest are Seibel, Merlot, Sauvignon blanc, Gewurztraminer, and Riesling. Last year’s production was roughly 1,000 50cl bottles.
City gardeners harvest the grape. The processing, bottling, and storage of the wine take place in the cellar of the town hall of the 18th arrondissement under the direction of Francis Gourdin, the city oenologist.
A Glass of Clos Montmartre 2008
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Following Eva’s presentation, we proceeded to taste the 2008 harvest, which Eva declared was the best year yet. It is a light-bodied wine, pale ruby in color, slightly tannic, but…not at all complex as one would hope for in any wine. The French would call this a vin de soif.
Indeed, the wine of Clos Montmartre has never had a reputation for quality. It does, nonetheless, sell for around 50€ a bottle, with proceeds going to local charity.
United Federation of Danish Workers – Green Sector
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
The tasting ended with the gardeners posing for a group shot. A good time was had by all!
Send me an e-mail if your group would like to organize a visit to the Clos Montmartre followed by a wine tasting,
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Chef Jacky Ribault
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
Dining at Qui Plume la Lune, a restaurant located in the 11th arrondissement, is a unique experience—even an adventure! Read about chef and proprietor Jacky Ribaul this month’s Paris Insights newsletter.
Our newsletter is published monthly as a downloadable PDF file. It is available only to paid subscribers for an annual subscription fee of $30.
If you are not a paid subscriber and would like to download the newsletter, please click here. Enter promotional code 11473309154 to receive a $5 discount off the price of an annual subscription.
Bonne lecture…et bon appétit!
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Lemon Marmalade from Tebourba
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net
We recently ventured into Le Comptoir de Tunisie, a boutique that sells fine-food products from Tunisia, where we purchased a jar of lemon marmalade.
Made in Tebourba by a company called Les Moulins Mahjoub, the marmalade has a caramelized brown color. We would not have imagined that a lemon product of any kind could be so dark! The lemon peel in this confection has been pulverized, yielding a grainy texture. The flavor is tangy, sweet, and sour all at once. Spread on warm Scottish oatcakes, it makes a great breakfast accompaniment!
Le Comptoir de Tunisie
30, rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris
Tel. 01.42.97.14.04
Open Monday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Metro: Palais-Royal (Lines 1 and 7) and Pyramides (Lines 7 and 14)
We participate in Wanderfood Wednesdays. Head over there to explore food from around the world!
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 | Tom Reeves - author of Paris Insights - An Anthology and Dining Out in Paris - What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light. |