A wine and cheese tasting in Paris is a must-do experience for any visitor who loves French food, wine and culture. This is something that I have unique insight into, as I’ve recently done two different wine and cheese tastings in Paris. (I know, poor me!)
In this article I’m going to go over my experience at two of the best wine and cheese tastings in Paris: Secret Wine Door and O Chateau. They’re located in very different parts of the city and have completely different atmospheres, so hopefully this guide can help you choose which gourmet experience is right for your trip.
I recommend booking a wine and cheese tasting near the beginning of your trip to France, as this helps you make informed choices about which wine to order at restaurants and which cheese to buy from the fromagerie for your pique-nique under the Eiffel Tower. Personally, I did these on the second and fourth days of my trip.
Secret Wine Door Paris Review
If you’re looking for a wine and cheese tasting in Paris that is off-the-beaten path, where you’ll share the experience with a smaller group in a less-tourist setting, then Secret Wine Door is exactly what you’re looking for.
The Location
Secret Wine Door is tucked away in the 15th Arrondissement, part of Montparnasse, in a neighborhood called Quartier Necker. The nearest metro station is Sèvres-Lecourbe, and from here it’s a five-minute walk through a cute local neighborhood (the famous cafe scene from “Inception” was filmed just around the corner). I mean, just look at the photo – is that not what you imagine when you think of la vie Parisienne?
Located on a quiet residential street, from the outside you wouldn’t know there was a popular wine-tasting experience here… that must be what makes it a “secret”!
The Experience
At Secret Wine Door, the tables are set up in a horseshoe shape. So, rather than being seated opposite someone at a table, everyone has theater-style viewing of the host: Erwan. Erwan is certified by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and he has been running Secret Wine Door since 2019.
With a maximum of twelve participants per tasting, Secret Wine Door has an informal environment with lots of opportunities to chat with other guests and with the host. I was traveling solo when I visited, so I was also seated with another solo traveler. We each had our own cheese plate and flight of wine glasses, and we shared a menu and bread basket.
The Wine & Cheese
I did a wine and cheese tasting at Secret Wine Door in Paris on my second-last solo trip to Paris. At that time, the wines being sampled were:
- Chablis from the Burgundy region
- Pouilly-Fume Vieilles Vignes from the Loire Valley
- Santenay from Burgundy
- Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from Bordeaux
- Cairanne Castel Mireio from the Rhone Valley
I really enjoyed this selection because it was wines that I hadn’t heard of before and that I probably wouldn’t find at local stores when I returned back home.
Of course, the cheese pairings were also a highlight. In the same order as the wines above, the cheese pairings were:
- Brie de Meaux
- Selles-sur-Cher
- Reblochon
- 18 Month Aged Comté
- Saint-Félicien
Of course I had tried brie before, and I think I’ve had comté as well (but certainly not aged for the full eighteen months!). The other three cheeses were new to me and all five were absolutely delicious.
Each table was also set with water glasses and a basket of baguette slices so you could balance out the alcohol and fat with some French carbs as well! 😉
Booking at the Secret Wine Door
Because Secret Wine Door only seats twelve guests at a time, it tends to sell out early (I’m writing this in the low season and they are already sold out for several days this month). Book your wine tasting here as soon as you know when you’ll be in Paris. 🍷
O Chateau Paris Review
O Chateau is a wine bar in Paris that also hosts wine and cheese tastings. I signed up for their “Wine and Cheese Lunch” that features five wines (one of which is always champagne) and five cheeses to complement the drinks.
The Location
O Chateau is centrally located in the 1st Arrondissement, a ten-minute walk north of the Louvre Museum. They like to advertise that the nearest metro station is Louvre – Rivoli, but I would argue that both Las Halles and Étienne Marcel are closer. The building itself is a former luxurious residence occupied by Madame de Pompadour, and you’re within easy walking distance of several of Paris’ most beautiful covered arcades.
The Experience
When I arrived at the wine bar two people from my tasting were already one bottle in, and when I left several others stayed to keep sampling their wines by the glass. While Secret Wine Door is only open for tastings, O Chateau is a place you can pop by any time during your trip to Paris.
I feel terrible that I can’t remember our sommelier’s name, as he was really kind. He also had the coolest job ever: he was a sommelier instructor at a culinary arts high school, where he taught the art of wine tasting and wine pairing to high school students. Is there anything more French than studying wine in high school?
The sommelier greeted us on the ground floor of the restaurant and then took our group down to the bar’s underground wine cellars. There were about twelve people in our group and we sat at a long table in a cellar lined with wine bottles. Each place was set with a glass for sparkling wine, red wine, white wine and water, and the plates of bread and cheese were in the center of the table for the group to share.
The Wine & Cheese
My visit to O Chateau was this summer. At the time of my visit, the wines being served were:
- Champagne from… Champagne
- Llum (a white blend) from Côtes Catalanes (Languedoc-Roussillon)
- A Riesling blend from Alsace
- Côt from the Loire Valley
- Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley
Again, I liked the diverse selection of wines and thought it was nice to start with a sparkling wine to celebrate our trip to Paris.
O Chateau works with La Fromagerie du Louvre to source the cheeses for its wine and cheese tastings. The cheeses that went with each wine were:
- Brie de Meaux
- Selles-sur-Cher
- Comté
- Cantal
- Fourme d’Ambert
As you can see, the cheeses served at both Secret Wine Door and O Chateau were quite similar. I assume this is because they are among the most popular and crowd-pleasing French cheeses, as I’m sure neither wine tasting wants to serve anything too polarizing!
Booking a Wine Tasting at O Chateau
It’s low season as I’m writing this and O Chateau’s wine-and-cheese lunch is already filling up for the days ahead. I can imagine that by high season they will be fully booked well in advance. So, I recommend that you book online as soon as you know your Paris travel dates.
O Chateau vs Secret Wine Door
So which wine and cheese tasting should you choose in Paris?
In my opinion, Secret Wine Door is a more contemporary wine and cheese tasting experience, in a non-traditional environment away from the main tourist track in Paris. If you want something more unique and offbeat, this would be the better option.
On the other hand, O Chateau offers a more traditional Parisian wine tasting experience. If you want to try French wine and cheese in a historical wine cellar near the main tourist attractions, this is the better option.
More Wine and Cheese Tastings in Paris
There are several different shops, restaurants and tour companies that offer wine and cheese tastings in Paris. If neither of the above works with your schedule, you might also want to consider one of these options:
- Wine & Cheese Pairings in a “Living Cheese Museum” – This is where professionals in the food industry come to learn about cheese, and now it’s where visitors can sign up for a (very) condensed version of the course: a 90-minute tasting including seven cheeses, three wines and bread.
- Wine & Cheese Tasting in the Latin Quarter – You don’t have to come all the way to the Right Bank for a Parisenne wine and cheese experience. Here, you’ll sample four cheeses from a family farm, paired with four different wines.
- Wine Tasting Experience with 6 Wines and Cheese Board – This experience has been designed especially for travelers by Get Your Guide, and is hosted in a charming wine shop in Montparnasse.
- Montmartre Cheese & Wine Tasting – Convivial host Max and his wife Laura love sharing French culinary culture with visitors in their shop in Montmartre.
If you’re a real oenophile, you might want to consider a full-day excursion from Paris to one of the nearby wine regions. Three highly-rated options include:
- Champagne and Reims Tasting Day Trip – Starting with hotel pick-up in Paris, you’ll join a small group of travelers to visit an iconic champagne house like Moet & Chandon or Veuve Cliquot, enjoy a four-course gourmet lunch, explore a historic vineyard and end your day at the UNESCO World Heritage cathedral in Reims.
- Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé Day Trip – If champagne isn’t your thing, check out this day trip that includes stops in two of France’s most famous wine-producing towns. You’ll meet two local winemakers in Sancerre, sampling their wines and pairing them with local cheese, then continue on to Pouilly sur Loire where you’ll visit a goat cheese farm and another local vineyard. A three-course lunch is included.
- Burgundy Wine Tour With Tastings from Paris – It takes less than two hours to drive from Paris to Burgunday, so you can explore the region’s wines without staying overnight. This tour takes your small group to two family-owned vineyards and a sparkling wine producer.
Or, you can do what I did and take a side trip from Paris to Burgundy for a few nights. I based myself in Beaune and took a full-day Burgundy wine tour that included more than twenty tastings and stops in several villages around the region. I also spent a day visiting nearby Dijon, and two days exploring the actual town of Beaune.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Paris and have written many articles about the city. You might like:
⭐ The Best Areas to Stay in Paris
🛍️ 12 Tips for Grocery Shopping in Paris
🤩 Free Things to Do in Paris (They’re All Indoors!)
🌹 How to Make a Custom Perfume in Paris
🌃 The Best Things to Do in Paris at Night
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