At the top of a hill in the center of Paris, not far from the Eiffel Tower, is the Musée du Vin. Housed in the cellars of the 15th century Abbaye de Passy, which was built by les Frères de l’Ordre des Minimes, the museum is home to a permanent display of a wide range of tools and implements relating to 2000 years of French viticulture – the journey from vine to table.
The museum offers group guided tours in French, English, Spanish, Japanese, and Russian; group talks on winemaking past and present; wine tasting events; individual ‘wine discovery’ classes; and may also be booked for group dinners and lunches. Or you could simply take self-guided audio tour (in English, German, Japanese, and Chinese), and then stop off in les Echansons, the museum restaurant, to have a spot of lunch, and of course, try the wine.
Prior to becoming a museum, the cellars, which formed part of a medieval quarry until the abbey was built, were used as wine cellars by several restaurants around the Eiffel Tower. In 1984, ownership of the cellars was taken over by the Conseil des Eschansons de France, whose aims are to protect and promote the best appéllations of France’s domaines.
To get to the museum, cross the river, go under the railway bridge, turn right and then walk up Passy hill to rue des Eaux, where you can still see the 17th century hot springs, for which the street was named.
Museum opening times are 10am-6pm, with the restaurant opening between 12pm and 3pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
Musée du Vin
rue des Eaux
5 square Charles Dickens, Paris 75016
More information may be found on the museum website