Highlights
- Paris Left Bank wine bars walking tour
- Visit bars and bistros in the 5th and 6th arrondissements for three wine tastings
- Walk past rue Mouffetard, the Pantheon, the Church of Sainte Geneviève, the Sorbonne and the Seine
- Led by an English-speaking wine enthusiast
- Professional local guide
Useful Information
Paris Left Bank Wine Tasting and Walk
The tour begins at the bottom of the picturesque rue Mouffetard with its history, myths and mystique, and former home of Hemingway. After your first glass of wine we pass Saint Medard, a church founded in 1140, and see the bar filmed in the movie “Amélie” as we head up the hill towards the Pantheon. This massive temple was commissioned in 1744 by Louis XV and built by the architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot. It was originally a church, but under the revolution it became a burial place for the honored men of France and houses the bodies of Voltaire, Rousseau, Mirabeau, Marat, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola.
Next, we arrive at a small local wine bar which looks like an old Parisian bistro with tiled floor, wooden chairs, and old black-and-white photos on the wall. Afterwards, we make our way downhill to pass the Church of Sainte Geneviève built 1492-1626, noted for its stained-glass windows. You'll also pass the famous Sorbonne University and rue de la Huchette, home of one of the oldest Jazz Clubs in Paris.
As we approach the Seine we will see Notre Dame before arriving at our next tasting at a Specialist of Bordeaux wines, in a bar with authentic decor and a real sense of history.
We end the afternoon at a small traditional bistro where the service is friendly and the walls are covered with old advertising posters from the bookseller's stalls along the river.
Reviewed by Carol H, January 2013
We spent a wonderful three-and-a-half hours with Karim on this tour. He certainly is a professional wine enthusiast and is passionate about sharing his knowledge of wines. We enjoyed walking through the Mouffetard area (5th arrondissement) of Paris and then spending time at two bars becoming immersed in the dos and don’ts of French white and red wines. Karim was extremely likeable and pleasant, and was very attuned to his group’s lack of or minimal knowledge of wines. He made sure that every member of the group understood what he was saying by never moving onto a new concept too quickly. His games were fun and it makes one want to continue learning more about wines and even wine pairings with different foods. Thoroughly enjoyable and very worthwhile!
Reviewed by alohafl, August 2011
Our guide, Kirim was excellent. He was very knowledgeable about both the wines he selected and the sights of the area. Tour lasted 4+ hours and could have gone even longer. I highly recommend it!
