10/12/2026
October 11: In 1934, the cobblestone streets of Paris echoed with brass bands, costumed parades, and clinking glasses for the inaugural Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre—marking the revival of Paris’s most famous urban vineyard!
By the early 20th century, the historic vineyards that once blanketed the Butte Montmartre since Roman times had completely vanished beneath expanding tenements and city streets. When the final open hillside parcel at Rue des Saules was slated for high-density development, a passionate band of Bohemian artists, satirists, and locals stepped in.
Their counter-proposal? Turn the hillside back into a vineyard.
In 1933, the City of Paris planted nearly 2,000 vines to legally halt construction. One year later, on October 11, 1934, music-hall star Mistinguett and comic icon Fernandel presided as godparents over the very first harvest festival.
Today, Clos Montmartre still thrives on its steep northern slope, planted predominantly to Gamay and Pinot Noir. Vinified in the cellars beneath the 18th arrondissement’s town hall, its rare annual output is bottled, custom-labeled by local artists, and auctioned to support neighbourhood youth and community projects.
A glass raised to the artists who proved that vines and history can triumph over concrete! 🍷✨
**eHistory **eEducation
