Fête des vendanges in Montmartre

 Since 1934, an annual celebration lasting several days has taken place in October to mark the grape harvest and the unveiling of the new Clos Montmartre vintage. It's a popular village festival, steeped in tradition and imbued with folklore, featuring gastronomy and wine.
If you're interested in village atmosphere, folklore, gastronomy and wine, we invite you to join us at the 2024 fête des vendanges. This year's fête des vendanges took place from October 11 to 15, 2023. The timeless core of the festivities on the program is the vineyard tour, parade, taste trail, ball and concerts.

 

The history of Montmartre's vineyards

In the 12th century, the nuns of Montmartre Abbey planted vines. However, the abbey's impoverishment led to the sale of its vineyard plots, and by the 18th century, most of the hilltop was covered in vines, surrounded by prosperous taverns and cabarets.
After Montmartre became part of Paris in 1860, housing began to multiply at the expense of the vines, which finally disappeared completely in 1928. On the initiative of painter Francisque Poulbot and others, the Prefect of the Seine declared the present Clos de Montmartre land unbuildable, to protect the area from real estate investment. In 1933, the City of Paris planted 2,000 vines on the site. The first harvest celebration took place in 1934.

Fête des vendanges from October 5 to 7, 1934. See the film: https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/collection/MVTN/id/1532/rec/1*

Where is Clos Montmartre?

The vineyard is located on the northern slope of the Butte Montmartre, along rue Saint-Vincent and rue des Saules. No pesticides or fungicides are used.
1,760 vines from 30 different grape varieties, including one hybrid, produce around 1,300 kilos of grapes, equivalent to around 1,000 bottles of red and rosé wine. The vineyard is managed by a gardener from the Paris city council, under the supervision of an oenologist. The harvest at Clos Montmartre is disconnected from the fête des vendanges. It is not the subject of a special event and takes place around 15 days before the fête des vendanges.
The best view of the Clos Montmartre, where we filmed, is from the Musée Montmartre, which we particularly recommend you visit. (read our article). You can also book a visit to the vineyards on the Musée Montmartre website:​
https://museedemontmartre.fr/evenements/visite-des-vignes-du-clos-montmartre-et-du-musee-de-montmartre/
 
Clos Montmartre
14-18 rue des Saules- 75018 Paris
http://www.fetedesvendangesdemontmartre.com/ 
 
Remerciements à Monsieur l’adjoint au maire du 18ème arrondissement, Ariel Lellouche.