A hidden vineyard of Paris

 

 

 

 

'The Hidden Vineyards of Paris' has some interesting information to be sure but we can't help being disappointed that the selection didn't include the important vineyard at Suresnes. Seresnes is in greater Paris so to say but it is larger and more important than anything else in the book and Geoffrey Finch surely could have stretched a point?

 

Never mind. Last year we had the opportunity to visit one of the many vineyards we had been unaware of within central Paris. We had already 'done' the obvious one at Montmartre (see this Blog) so we chose the more recently planted one at the Parc de Bercy.

As the notice says, the park was divided into three areas of wine depots making the biggest wine storage facility in the world in the 19th century. Cellars were built along alleys named after the regions they served; Rue de Bordeaux, Rue de Champagne, Rue de Meurdault and the Cours Saint-Emilion after which the new Metro station was named. It was finally closed in 1950. In memory of this actvity the parc was planted with 400 vines in a conteporary plan which recalls the memory of the paved roads and rail tracks on which the wagons ran, a bottling plant and an old customs office.

 

In 1996, 682 square metres of grapevines were planted plus 341 square meters of table grapes in the newly named Itzhak Rabin Garden. Rabin had been assasinated in November 1995.

Originally varieties included Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay making 250 litres of wine a year.

Wine from these grapes has been described as 'light and pleasantly fruity.'

More recently, the Soreli variety obtained from the VCR (Vivai cooperativi Rauscedo) was planted. Slotovino readers will have noticed many references to this variety as we have planted it ourselves. It is a product of Friulano (aka Tocai Friulano) and a resistance partner whose name is a trade secret.

The brick edifice is described as a 'Chimney Folly' and is not original. Strange.