Les Nourritures Terrestres: The New Parisian Wine

When thinking of French wine, one ultimately relates to Bordeaux, Bourgogne or Beaujolais. However, that is not all that France has to offer.

In the vibrant Quartier des Halles known for the Pompidou center, the Saint Jacques Tower, and the Chatelet Theater, some ambitious winemakers have decided to reinstate the wine-making tradition in the center of Paris.

Such idea can seem eccentric and even ludicrous, but one shouldn’t forget that Les Halles were once the gastronomic center of the French capital. 
Considered “the belly of Paris” ( le Ventre de Paris ), it was the principal marketplace of the city until its demolition in 1971.  Founded by Prince Philippe Auguste in 1173, it was renovated many times to fit the growth of Paris. Its vast dome designed by V. Baltar quickly became one of the capital’s main symbols.

From Zola to Lhermitte’s work, The Halles were a perfect subject for artists and painters, Despite all of this, the whole market was moved to Rungis in 1971 and replaced by a gloomy mall and dingy subway station. For those interested, parts of the original buildings have been installed in Nogent sur Marne and Japan.

Lhermitte ; Les Halles

But let’s get back to wine
.

The grapes are delivered each morning to the the rue Turbigo Chai. A note of warning, chai here is not a spicy tea but actually a shed or other aboveground building where a winemaker stores wine in casks. In order not to damage the precious fruits, they are sent in refrigerated trucks to Paris. Pre-fermentation of the Auvergne grapes happens during the journey. Then everything is done on the spot; from the stalk peeling to the vinification and the bottle filling. The whole manufacturing process takes approximately one year.

But what is the point of such a wine? Doesn’t France already have wonderful wines in Bordeaux, Alsace or Provence?

According to Frederic Duseigneur, the head of the project, this wine is directly providing for Parisian tastes and desires. 
French people often say that Paris is not France, highlighting the sociocultural and economic differences existing between the capital and la province (the rest of the country). The wine clearly caters to Parisian wealthy BoBo (Bohemian Bourgeois), kind of like hipsters in the US. The grapes are grown in accordance to biodynamic principles, no sulfates or sugar are added to the concoction, and winemakers provide total transparency of the wine making process. Visits and wine tastings are planed to instill wine knowledge and culture. The names of the 5 cuvées produced each year are a tribute to Paris history: Lutece, Turbigo, Haussman, An 508, and Templiers.

Want to know more? Would you like to taste this 55 rue Turbigo wine or just to visit the chai? Well to do so, you will have to book a ticket to France as none of the 25,000 produced bottles is available out of the French capital.

-Aurore Gugliemi

Source ; http://www.leparisien.fr/paris-75003/ils-fabriquent-du-vin-en-plein-paris-21-09-2016-6139577.php
http://www.sommelier-vins.com/2016/06/les-vignerons-parisiens.html

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