Fête des Vendanges

Every October Paris holds one of the city’s most entertaining and cultural festivals (in my humble opinion) ….Fête Des Vendanges (Festival of the Grape Harvest)! This is the one time per year when all the Departments of France (Departments mean: districts or individual states that make up France) *see below for extra insight...come to the capital city and celebrate their region’s speciality wine (grapes) …..each region brings plenty of their famous wine to distribute “for free” to parade watchers lining the streets of the 18th arrondissement — a.k.a. “Montmartre” (a section of Paris). Montmartre is one of the prettiest arrondissements in all of Paris, some argue the 18th is the prettiest arrondissement. ** More on this beautiful area in future Posts **  

Fête Des Vendanges has grown so big and popular over the years that some of the France’s regions who don’t necessarily have wine as their famous product, will still participate in this event and showcase what makes their region famous. (this is a big party and no Department/District wants to miss out on this great marketing opportunity for their region) To highlight a few of the famous regional products (outside of wine) represented in the parade range from olives, seafood, pork, lavender, chocolate, scallops, to sunflowers. 

My wonderful and good friend Anne hosted a little Fête Des Vendanges soiree to celebrate this fun event.  Everyone met on the parade route and of course we sampled and celebrated all afternoon with some of France’s most notable “grapes”. After the parade, everyone carried each other back to Anne’s home (just kidding)…for a little cocktail party…before heading back out to a famous Montmartre restaurant “La Pomponnette” for more wine/cocktails and singing of old and new French tunes! Below I have pictures of the parade and friends!

* Paris is one of France’s 101 Departments or individual districts (similar to what we in the US call a state)…96 Departments or Districts within France and 5 Departments overseas (in North America / Caribbean — Guadeloupe and Martinique are two overseas Departments governed by France) Paris is made up of 20 individual Arrondissements. When you hear or see Arrondissement just think of our individual counties within a state. Certain Arrondissements in Paris have very famous sights and sometimes these sights have become ways to describe what Arrondissement you are located. If you say I live in or I’m going to Montmartre, it is automatically known you are referring to the 18th Arrondissement (area of Paris). Montmartre translated is ‘mountain of the martyr’; it owes this name to the martyrdom of Saint Denis who was decapitated on the hill around 250 AD. The Basilica of the Sacré Cœur (the Sacred Heart) is located a top Montmartre and is the highest point in Paris, some refer to this beautiful Basilica as the Wedding Cake church because of it’s positioning on top of the mont…the steps of Sacré Cœur provides one of the best views of Paris anytime day or night. 

I hope you enjoy the picture review of the Fête des Vendanges as much as I enjoyed being a part of it!