The Vineyard of Montmartre? Yes, it’s not a joke!

Did you know that Paris has about ten vineyards, out of 132 in the Ile de France region? The vineyard of Montmartre is one of them. Situated in the rue Saint-Vincent on the slope of the hill (18th arrondissement), it is maybe the most famous vineyard in the French capital. In fact, it is reminiscent of the wine-making past of the Paris region.

[lwptoc]

The Vineyard of Montmartre

The small patch of vineyard on a steep hill seems at odds in Paris. How many sightseers know that the Île de France was once a wine-making region?

In the past, the region included many vineyards in Issy-les-Moulineaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Suresnes… Since 1932, the vines of Montmartre have continued the centuries-old tradition.

A tradition from the Middle-Ages

The existence of vines in Montmartre is attested as early as 944.

In the 12th century, the nuns of the Benedictine Abbey of Montmartre planted vines on the hill.

At the end of the 15th century, ruined by the wars, the nuns of Montmartre had to sell their land to winegrowers who continued the tradition. However, the only wine press was inside the abbey and the winegrowers had to bring their harvests there.

In the 17th century, the wine of Montmartre was a small wine reserved for local consumption. At that time, wine represented 50% of the abbey’s income in the 16th century and only 5% in 1790, on the eve of the Revolution. With the annexation of Montmartre to Paris in 1860, the vineyards gradually disappeared.

The Renaissance of the vineyard

In 1910, one could still see two vines of the Montmartre vineyard on rue Damrémont and rue Lepic.

In 1929, the painter Francisque Poulbot and a few writer and artist friends saved a piece of municipal land from real estate expansion by planting a few vines.

Then, in 1933, the planting continued with more than three thousand plants of Thomery and three plans of Morgon. The following year, the traditional harvest festival began, which continues every year.

The vineyard today

The vineyard stretch is owned by the City of Paris and covers 1,556 m2. It produces 27 varieties of wine including 75% of Gamay, 20% of Pinot, some stocks of white Sauvignon and Riesling.

The wine production of the ‘Clos de Montmartre’ reaches up to 500 litres per year which represent 1,700 bottles.

Curiously, the vineyard grows on the north side of the Montmartre hill, along the rue Saint-Vincent and the rue des Saules (in general, one prefers to plant the vines facing south for optimal sunshine).

The wine has long been considered cheap wine but this is no longer the case as everything is done to make the wine excellent. In fact, an oenologist and a winemaker are now in charge of this vineyard.

However, public access is not allowed, except for exceptional occasions, such as the Garden Festival, organised every fall since 1980 by the Paris City Hall.

An old local saying

In the past, the wine of Montmartre had quite a reputation. Indeed, it was then known for its… diuretic properties!

Hence a local saying from the 17th century:

‘The wine of Montmartre

Whoever drinks a pint (0.93 litres) pisses a quart (67 litres)!“

(C’est du vin de Montmartre

Qui en boit pinte en pisse quarte)

Montmartre Wine Harvest Festival

Each year the harvest of the grapes takes place on the first weekend in October and draws more than 500,000 visitors. This is the opportunity for a festive celebration with wine tastings and cooking workshops, concerts, street parades and fireworks.

In addition, the ‘Clos de Montmartre’ is auctioned each year for €45 a bottle and the proceeds of the sale go to charity.

👉 Find out more about the hill of Montmartre on the blog.

👉The website of the Comité des Fêtes de Montmartre

What to see around the vineyard of Montmartre

If you come to see the vineyard of Montmartre, you can continue the visit to the district by discovering other interesting sites.

The Montmartre Museum:

The cabaret Le Lapin Agile:

La Maison Rose (corner rue des Saules / rue de l’abreuvoir):

Rue de l’Abreuvoir:

And finally, the little houses of rue Saint-Vincent: