Photo of the interior of the Musée du Vin from their website.

Blogathon June 27

If Ô Chateau (Blog: http://kathyborrus.tumblr.com/post/122019411328/drink-french-wine-in-paris-the-american-way) whetted your appetite for more, test the waters (er, wine) with a visit to Musée du Vin (the Wine Museum) in Paris, indulge in other tastings, or enroll in classes from beginner to advanced. But, really, you don’t need a degree in viniculture to enjoy sipping French wine.

Musée du Vin (16th arrondissement)
5, square Charles Dickens / Rue des Eaux
http://www.museeduvinparis.com/index.php/en/
Tel: 01 45 25 70 89
Metro: Passy – line 6

Head for the wine tasting room in the preserved fifteenth-century medieval wine vaults of this former Passy Monastery. Within walking distance from the Eiffel Tower, the Wine Museum—actually a museum, restaurant, and boutique—has over 2,000 objects in the permanent collection that celebrate wine making. View the tools of production, follow the various stages of wine cultivation, and then dine in the vaulted cellar of Les Echansons (wine waiters) Restaurant. Check their website for the museum’s offering of classes, conferences, and events throughout the year.

Museum Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 AM – 6 PM

Les Echansons Restaurant Hours:

Tuesday to Saturday 12 noon – 3 PM To reserve phone 01 45 25 63 26

La Maison du Vin et des Vignobles (17th Arrondissement)
178 boulevard Berthier
lamaisonduvin.fr

Dinners, tastings—wines and whiskies—wine tours, and other events and small private group meetings by appointment. This fifth generation wine merchant family says, “Everything is possible at the House of Wine.”

Le Cordon Bleu
http://www.cordonbleu.edu/home/en

Since 1895, the world-renowned school of gastronomy has been training future chefs. If you’re more interested in advancing your spirited knowledge than culinary skills, you can just enroll in their Wine and Spirits Initiation program (http://www.cordonbleu.edu/paris/wine-spirits-program/en). But brush up on your French—classes are taught in French and translated into English—and save up. The course given in three modules is pricey: 480 € for each module or 1365 € for the three modules if taken sequentially. These classes naturally come with multiple tastings. Of course, if you don’t care about a discerning palate, you may just prefer to save up, bag the lessons, buy a case, and drink up whenever the spirit moves you.

Wine Tasting in Paris
http://www.wine-tasting-in-paris.com

If you’re a novice, this one claims to provide you with fun and information. What could possibly not be fun about wine? In fact, they offer tastings for all levels and ages from beginner and connoisseur, specialized for groups of six. Their Paris French Wine Tour tasting is two and half hours and covers six different wines and champagne. And you leave with a pocket guide to assist in your restaurant wine choices.