From the Middle Ages to its glory days in the 18th century, the prized wines of the Ile de France, the Paris region, stocked the cellars of French kings and clergymen and covered over 100,000 acres of land. These wines were also well known in medieval literature, and figure in several poems extolling the virtues of these wines.
The Revolution, vine disease and urbanisation all took their toll, however, with quality plummeting as Parisian vintners lost out to southern wines imported by train. The First World War marked the coup de grace for wine production in the French capital.
But a renaissance is afoot. Today, around 200 vineyards have sprung up covering 30 acres of Parisian land and producers are demanding official recognition for their wines. They say the quality has vastly improved in recent years and that tests show the grapes are not tainted by pollution.
Henry Samuel tells us about the Parisian vintners in his article in the Telegraph. They even fight for a PGI (IGP in French), a Protected Geographical Indication.
Read the original article Paris wine makers seek recognition for grape growing renaissance.
