8 Best Wine Tasting in Paris, France (+ Vineyards)

Swinging by the City of Love? We’ve selected eight of the best Paris wine tasting options to satisfy your love for vin. Cheers to that!

France’s longstanding love story with wine is world-renowned. As the wine capital of the world, each region in France has its own take on wine with vintners throwing in local flavors and unique twists.

Since the 6th century, France has been hard at work mastering the art of wine-making. Before this, wine came from the Italians, who exported their wine to France’s noble families.

The French fell head over heels with the bittersweet fermented juice that it sparked a cultural obsession –  a passion for making wine they could call their own.

Years later, the love for wine blossomed into a real art form. Armed with wine-making techniques from Romans, the French constructed their own vineyards, further perfecting the art.

Wine Tasting in Paris

In Paris, wine-making has been elevated to whole new levels. Here, wine is revered and even venerated. The oldest vineyard in Paris dates back to 945, built by the abbey of Montmartre.

With wine drinking as the national pass-time, almost every street in Paris is dotted with bars that specialize in the very best wines.

You’ll find a variety of Paris wine-tasting tours in the city, from two-hour classes that guide you through the particulars of French wine to whole-day educational escapades with a professional sommelier.

Some tours pair wines with cheese or chocolate, while others are historically or pop-culturally themed to give tourists a whole new perspective.

Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or a pinot noir newbie, there’s a Paris winery tour guaranteed to tickle your wine-tasting tastebuds. We listed down the best wine tastings in Paris to give you a headstart on your Parisian wine-tasting journey.

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1. Discover the magic of wine and cheese

Cheese is to wine as Romeo is to Juliet – their pairing is a love story that withstands the test of time. There’s nothing like the tart acidity of the wine to instantly refresh the palate after nibbling on a slice of rich, fatty cheese. Paroles de Fromagers, the only cheese school in Paris, brings the magic of this perfect pairing to life.

Founded in 2017 with an aim to establish a place in Paris where traditional cheeses can be made, aged, tasted, and bought, Paroles de Fromagers is a cheese and wine shop that offers cheese-making workshops, cheese, and wine tasting workshops, and teaching and immersion programs for future cheesemakers.

The tour: For the best cheese and wine tasting in Paris, try out this cheese-making workshop with wine tasting tour. This Paris wine tour comes complete with a cheese-making tutorial led by an English-speaking cheese master.

Expect to learn about the different varieties of French cheese, visit a cheese-aging cellar, make your own “tomme fraiche” cheese, and finally, for an authentic French culinary experience, pair your creations with excellent wine.

Looking to take something home? The school’s cheese shop offers a delicious assemblage of traditional cheeses, charcuterie, wines, and other delicatessens.

2. Wine and dine at O Chateau

With an aim to help Paris visitors have a deeper understanding of French wine, Olivier Magny founded O Chateau in 2004. What started as a small-wine tasting operation blossomed into one of Paris’ most popular wine-tasting establishments.

With over 500 different wines, this wine bar and restaurant are the first in Paris to receive the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

Visitors looking for some of the best Paris wine tastings will find a variety of events at O Chateau, each catering to different budgets and tastes. The two-hour Wine Tasting Dinner (€99 per person) includes samplings of four wines over a three-course meal with a professional sommelier.

Visitors looking for lighter fare will enjoy the two-hour wine and cheese tasting event (€75 per person), which includes five glasses of wine and a variety of cheeses and charcuteries.

The tour: Get your whole experience planned out for you with this wine-tasting dinner tour in O Chateau, one of the best wine tours in Paris, France. Enjoy a four-course meal with five different wines from various regions in France. A professional sommelier will teach you how to read wine labels with tips on how to select and taste wine.

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3. Pit beer vs. wine in Bastille

Bastille, the epicenter of the French Revolution, is more than just the allure of its historic sights. Here, you’ll find trendy creative scenes, numerous bistros, and watering holes where you can get your foodie game on. If you’re looking for the perfect Parisian experience, this historical neighborhood offers a plethora of things to see and taste.

The tour: If you love all forms of alcohol and you’re not one to snob a humble pint of beer, this beer vs. wine tour in Bastille takes you through the neighborhood’s bars and taverns where you can sample beers and local wines while learning about Paris’ history.

This three-hour tour allows you to taste your way through the city, sampling an assortment of cheese, snails, or charcuterie, paired with a glass of wine or beer.

The adventure begins in Place de la Bastille, where the French Revolution started, before trotting along to a historic bistro where you’ll sample some French snails and a glass of wine.

Next is a tour of the artsy Faubourg Saint-Antoine neighborhood and into some of Paris’ quintessential wine bars where you’ll pair wines with delectable rillettes, pates, and smoked hams.

After having your fill of France’s best charcuterie, you’ll be swinging by Marche d’Aligre, one of Paris’ oldest markets, to sample an assortment of cheeses, and onto a famous beer bar that serves 300 different beers.

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4. Sip wine in style at Le Marais

A visit to Paris is incomplete without stopping by Le Marais – the closest you’ll possibly ever get to the feel of real medieval Paris with its pre-revolutionary buildings and historical streets.

Travelers looking for a cultural escapade will never run out of things to explore, from its fashionable art galleries and trendy shops to its lively gay bars and low-fashion boutiques.

For foodies and wine lovers, there’s plenty to explore. You’ll find a number of outstanding food and wine options within Marais’ labyrinth of fashionable streets.

Marche des Enfants Rouges, located a stone’s throw away from the Pablo Picasso museum, is a bustling indoor market that opens from Tuesday to Sunday, beckoning Parisians to sample oysters, fresh fish, a variety of cheeses, seasonal fruit, cured meats, and vegetables. There’s also a wine merchant who can tell you a thing or two about food and wine pairing.

The tour: For a complete Paris wine-tasting experience, leave it to the professional tour guides of this Marais Walking Food Tour.

This off-the-beaten-path adventure includes tastings of French cheeses served on baguettes and paired with wine, pastries, chocolates, and various charcuteries.

You’ll be stopping by some of the locals’ favorite stores with a knowledgeable tour guide who’ll share tidbits of Parisian history along the way.

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5. Pair culture with a cabernet at Les Caves du Louvre

When in Paris, a visit to the Louvre is absolutely compulsory. As the world’s largest art museum, this world-renowned landmark situated in the city’s 1st arrondissement is the stuff of bucket lists. It is, after all, the world’s most visited museum with an assemblage of pieces from old civilizations to the mid-19th century.

For wine connoisseurs, there’s no better way to discuss art than over wine and luckily enough, Les Caves du Louvre is just a four-minute walk away from the iconic museum.

Founded by King Louis XV’s sommelier, Les Caves du Louvre is a former royal wine cellar that is now a popular Paris winery that specializes in offering extraordinary experiences. Les Caves du Louvre boasts nine rooms that each offer visitors a different wine experience.

For example, The Winery houses wines from 15 different grape varieties; the Private Tasting Room is an elegant tasting room that may be booked for tastings, meetings, or special dinners; the Terroirs Room allows visitors to learn about the importance of soil in wine, while the Aromas Room is set in a nest of wood, allowing guests to stimulate their olfactory sense.

The tour: For travelers looking to explore both the Louvre and the Les Caves du Louvre, this two-in-one Louvre Museum tour offers the best of both worlds. With skip-the-line access, you can get in without the wait and enjoy the Louvre at your own pace.

After having your fill of art, you’ll be swinging by Les Caves du Louvre to taste three different wine varieties with a professional sommelier who will walk you through your Paris wine-tasting experience.

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6. Match choco with vino

Pairing wine with chocolate can be tricky business – tannin from chocolate clashing with tannin from red wine can be a car crash on your palette waiting to happen.

But what to do with Paris’ two most loved products: vino and choco? Luckily, there are experts in Paris who specialized in making the wine-chocolate loveteam happen.

Behind Paris’ expert chocolate craftsmanship are a number of revered artisans and Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsmen of France), including chocolatier Patrick Roger and globally-renowned expert Jean-Paul Hevin.

If you’re looking for a chocolate fix, there’s one in almost every corner, including Parisian classic Debauve & Gallais (the oldest chocolate store in the city), and Maison Pralus which specializes in  “barre infernal noir”, a 160g bar of chocolate crafted from the finest Madagascan cacao.

The tour: If you don’t know the nuances of pairing wine with chocolate, better leave it to the experts. This two-hour Private Wine and Chocolate Tasting Experience allows travelers to experiment with a variety of chocolate and wine combinations.

A wine expert guides you through the experience while teaching you the best variations.

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7. Discover Parisian wine history through a vineyard

It’s no secret that most of the world’s best wines come from Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley, or Burgundy in France, but did you know that Paris played a massive part in the country’s wine-making culture?

The City of Love was the largest producer of wine in France during the 18th century. Despite its unexceptional soil quality, the wine industry boomed in Paris. Vineyards were planted on 42,000 hectares of land by around 4,450 wine merchants.

While reading about Paris’ wine history can be a great way to know about the country’s love for vin, wine tasting with a knowledgeable sommelier offers the most thorough walkthrough.

The tour: This Latin Quarter Vineyard & Wine Bar Tour with Tastings offers a guided journey through the Latin Quarter while stopping by a carefully curated list of wine bars and shops.

The tour begins at Jardin des Plantes where you’ll learn more about the vineyards of Paris’ past, and onto the Roman Arena, the Place de la Contrescarpe, and the Montagne Saint Genevieve. It also comes with tasting sessions and shared snacks made from fresh ingredients.

See Related: Best Wine Tours in Burgundy

8. Explore Loire Valley

Looking for wine tours from Paris? Known for its outstanding wines and unparalleled gastronomy, Loire Valley features aristocratic estates surrounded by sprawling vineyards and charming villages.

Once the home of kings, queens, nobles, and dukes, this 280-kilometer UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in central France’s Loire River is famous for its stunning chateaux and vibrant culture.

But tourists who visit come here for more than just the spectacular pleasure palaces and breathtaking sights. If you’re looking for a winery near Paris, the Loire Valley is renowned locally for its outstanding wines (white, red, sparkling, and rose).

Loire Valley wines are popular for their variety and excellent value. Most wines here feature moderate alcohol with a refreshing minerality and acidity that make them exemplary food wines.

The tour: This Loire Valley Castles Full-Day Tour, which comes with an optional pick-up from your Paris hotel, takes you on a journey around the region’s castles and gardens while tasting some of France’s finest wines.

The journey begins with a stop at Chateau Amboise, the seat of the Court of Kings Charles VIII and Francois I. Next, is at Chateau de Chenonceau, where you’ll learn about the castle’s history, and finally, at the royal Chateau de Chambord where you can gawk over one of Europe’s best parks spanning 13,000 acres.

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