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| Paris is still No.1 in the wine
world |
The French capital is still the mecca for
good food and great wine as a trip to a winemakers’ fair showed
Denis Lafon who began producing wine 40 years ago |
PARIS, sera toujours Paris, sang the French singer and Hollywood
star of the 1940s Maurice Chevalier. A touch of typical French arrogance
according to recent reports in the English press, which suggest
Paris is in decline and its position as the cultural and culinary
capital of Europe is being supplanted by London. Could this be true?
Arriving at the Gare du Nord in the centre of the city I’m
handed a leaflet, it’s for McDonalds. For many years fast food
chains were barred from this city, the style and quality of their
food considered unsuitable. Now McDonalds and a host of other fast
food and take-away joints are everywhere.
It is a shock to see men sleeping rough – not in shop doorways-
but on the pavement – in the pouring rain. I’m told of
migrants living in trees in and around the city’s legendary
thoroughfares – Les Grands Boulevards.
Paris appears grubby and seems to have lost its magic.
But this is tourist Paris, across the river past the Eiffel Tower,
lies the15th district. The streets are clean and tidy and schoolchildren
well-behaved. Dozens of specialist shops sell everything, including,
fresh meat, fish and cheese. There are few tourists and no McDonald’s.
The French weekly magazine L’Express recently published a list
of the 100 best reasonably priced Bistros in France, 42 were in
Paris and of those, more than 20 per cent were in the 15th.
This is a socially mixed area, yet the way of life is relaxed, civilised
and stylish. Here, on the outskirts of the district, almost 1,000
French winemaking farmers have for the 27th year set-up their wine
fair.
It is an amazing sight. Displayed, on two levels of the enormous
Paris expo centre, in an area the size of several football pitches
are thousands of different wines. All produced by members of the
Vignerons Independants de France, an association of small farmer/winemakers.
All the famous French wine areas are here. All the great grape varietals
– Cabernets, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon,
Viognier, Riesling etc – are represented. All are available
as single varietals wines, or as blends. Here too are dozens of
wines from lesser known grape varieties.
There is a red wine made from the Niellucciu grape grown in a tiny
region, on the island of Corsica. Two wine-makers from the small
Cornas wine region in the Rhone Valley, display a powerful, robust
Syrah wine.
Most surprising of all is the presence of 29 champagne-producing
farmers. This is a giant Farmers market, exclusively dedicated to
wine.
Denis Lafon (pictured) began producing wine 40 years ago from a
tiny farm on the slopes around the town of Blaye, in the South west
of France. Using a blend of Merlot and Cabernet grapes he produces
a collection of top class, reds and whites. The prices range from
around £3.50 for a “traditional” un-oaked wine,
produced from young vines, rising to £6 for his top La Revelation
blend, which uses old vines and is matured in oak barrels.
These are amazingly low prices for what the posh wine clubs would
term ‘hand-crafted’ wines.
Alas, these and most of the other wines at this show are not readily
available to the UK consumer. This may change, however, when –
in February – 80 of these winemakers bring their wines to London.
It’s the end of a great day at the wine fair, now, its time
to eat. Nearby, are several small family run restaurants, each one
specialising in a particular cuisine, French, Moroccan, Italian,
Indian and Vietnamese. I opt for the Italian and after a thoroughly
enjoyable, cheap, traditional three course meal, I take a bus to
the centre of Paris.
The Eiffel Tower in covered in a million flashing light bulbs, the
biggest Christmas tree in the world, The Champs Elysees too, is
ablaze with light. Christmas is everywhere. Look in any direction
and your eyes will light upon an example of the monumental brilliance
that is Paris.
London is improving all the time but has it overtaken Paris? Only
in dreams.
• Visit www.vigneron-independent.com. |
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Paris is still No.1 in the wine world
PARIS, sera toujours Paris, sang the French singer and Hollywood star
of the 1940s Maurice Chevalier.
FULL STORY
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