The Solo Scale:

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Wine tasting feels like a natural activity to pick up when you’re in France, and especially so in Paris. With so many fantastic wines available, it helps to have some guidance so you don’t get lost in wine cellars with too many options. As you start navigating through the options, you may face a similarly overwhelming decision. What should you pick? There happens to be one unique experience that I tried recently and would highly recommend and that’s Les Caves du Louvre’s wine-tasting experience in Paris.

As you might expect, you’re going to find this location right around the corner from the Louvre. I recommend booking this in advance through either the site directly or a partner site like Viator or TripAdvisor. The latter options are typically a little better because they tend to run discounts, as well as allowing you to reserve and pay later. When it comes to your options, you can choose between three. You can choose the non-alcoholic tasting, the normal tier tasting, or the premium wines. The price difference between regular and premium wasn’t too hefty, so I opted into the premium.

When you arrive and check in, there’s a bit of a wait before your tour begins. This is because they run them back-to-back. There isn’t much seating in the waiting area. If you want to capitalize on your time in Paris, I recommend showing up right before your tour time. There’s a bit of administrative work first in which they hand out little slips that tell the sommelier which package you purchased — regular, premium or non-alcoholic. That way, they know how much to pour of each.

After you receive your receipt, you meet your sommelier! Ours was a half-French, half-American sommelier who brought us through the various stages of the tour. There are several stairs in this tour, so make sure that you’re capable of doing that and if wine tends to go straight to your head, don’t be afraid to use those railings.

As you sip, you get to learn a little bit more about the history of the caves. These wine caves used to belong to a barber. They then passed hands to a candlestick maker for the Louvre (when it was a palace). It was this owner who expanded into wine.

Luckily, the wine is why you’re there and the first glass is on the way.

The first wine we had from the premium set was a 2018 Pinot Gris from the Alsace region. It’s from Josmeyer, a Grand Cru vineyard and was a dry wine that had a little warmth on the edge of your tongue. We had this wine in the first area as our sommelier began to explain about the terroir of France and how the soil makeup impacts the vines.

You’ll be using the same wine glass for the duration of your visit. Make sure you enjoy every last drop. There is going to be some mixing inevitably, but it didn’t spoil the taste of any of the wines.

The next wine was red from Le Roc des Anges, which was enjoyed while we ambled around an interactive game room that had lots of large scented corks. You have to match them up with the smells that you believe they are. It’s a fun and interactive game to enjoy while you’re drinking wine that makes it more engaging than a typical tour. Personally, I’m pretty bad at identifying flavours and scents in my wines, but this was still a fun way to test that out. There are multiple versions of the displays around the room, so wander to try them all.

Onward, before you arrive at the final room, you get to learn about cork and bottle production, as well as a little about labels. In the last room, you get your last glass. For the premium tasting, this was a glass of the Domaine Guillot-Broux “Les Perrieres”. As with all the other wines, the taste of this was fantastic and this last little room had a bench to perch on while you tasted. There’s a great display that shows what you’ve been drinking that day too, in case you forgot.

If you particularly liked any of the wines, you can purchase them at the wine shop on the way out. As you might expect, it’s a lot of French wines and it’s not a large shop. As a result, you might not find everything you’re looking for, but it’s a good option for a souvenir!

Overall, the pace is fantastic. You learn in each room while you sip at your pours, which means that you barely get a buzz during your visit. The sommelier is entertaining and educational and it’s not overly long to stand in a single place. Plus, the caves themselves are such an interesting place to be.

The location is also fantastic. It’s situated near the Louvre (as the name of the location gives away). If you visit later on a Wednesday or Friday, you can take advantage of the Louvre’s extra evening hours!

Want to book your tour? Check out their website and book your visit today!

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