I understood the definition of a “tourist trap” today, going to the Museum of Wine in Paris. Intially, I thought “why not ?”. And to finish, I thought “WHY ???”. Explainations.

First, a museum of wine, in Paris, close to the Eiffel Tower, 10€ for the entrance, it wasn’t good sign…But I would have detected the rip off, when I saw this board below:

Translation: “Museum of Wine / Street of Waters / 5-7 Square Charles Dickens”

What ? There is nothing wrong ? A museum of wine located “Street of waters”, is that fair ??? Ok, I might be exaggerating, but however…In fact, many sources of healing thermal water were found in Passy, between the XVIIe and XVIIIe centuries (so, the name makes sense…:-) ).

Once you have entered and emptied of 10€, it must be said that the place is beautiful ! Old quarries of limestone providing all Paris in the Middle Age, the vaults belonged to the order of Minimes, who produced wine, like “clairet”, the Louis XIII’s favourite. Rehabilited in 1950, the place was used as a storeroom for the bottles of Tour Eiffel’s restaurant, and then bought by the Council of the French Echansons in 1984 (picutre of the article). Since, not only a museum, the vaults housed a restaurant “Les Echansons”.

But after that, we don’t know any more ! Once the good impresion over, let’s go with audio-guide (free ). And there is a succession of 26 topics, named “bacchus”, run along halls. In fact, these “bacchus” are presentations of boring tools of the gallo-romaine period until today. Knowing that each “bacchus is divided in many subjects. Thus:

“Passing the vault, you arrive to the bachus n°23. Turn left where located a glass case of knives and corkscrews. Ntice the number 13 blablabla, then the number 28 blablabla, or the number 35 blablabla, …”. And I don’t speak about the voice of the audio-guide, a kind of GPS as compulsive as Derrick ! Now, you have all the informations, imagine with the glass case below:

It was then I thought: “WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY ? I will never criticize Derrick ! I found worst !”.  If we had Georges Clonney’s voice for the ladies and Monica Bellucci’s for the men, it would be more attractive…Because it’s a shame: the place is amazing, the collection is diversified and important (too much?) but nothing is educational or payful. Some models are well, like an room of degorgement in Champagne, but others look useless (which of Napoléon drinking a Chambertin, because it was seemingly his favourite, doesn’t require a full place: WE DON’T CARE !). But, what you want, the small Emperor is well know from the tourists…

However, special mention to the “bacchus” blessing to the Paris’ wine (whose I talk about here), reminding that around 1850, the Parisian vineyard was one of the most bigger in Europe !

But 1 “bacchus” in 26, it’s expensive… Even if the visit would have a good end when the lovely casher asked me: “Do you to taste a wine ?” In which I obviously answered “no”… I am joking, I said “yes”, she told me “it’s 5 euros”, I really answered “NO !”. 

Messrs from Echansons, your task to promote and defend the designations of the french gastronomy and wine-growing is obivously commendable, but please, start by the starting !!!