Travel: O’ Chateau Wine Cellar Experience, Paris

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O’ Chateau is an award-winning wine tasting and wine bar venue in the heart of the city and notably the first wine bar in Paris to obtain the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence. Situated in a  prime location just 5 minutes from the Louvre, a visit to O’Chateau is a must-do experience for any wine connoisseur or amateur wine enthusiast.  A diverse selection of wine related experiences are available to pre-book including Tour De France wine tasting, cheese and wine lunch, a day trip to Champagne, Grands Crus tasting and even a Champagne cruise. Housing over a thousand bottles of wine and Champagne, and having 50 wines available by the glass (a selection which changes on a weekly basis),  its not surprising that O’Chateau has been voted one of the best wine venues in Paris.

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O’ Chateau’s exterior and interior is typically Parisian, with a centrally focused and very sociable semi-circular bar surrounded by stools provides a prime spot to drink and dine in a relaxed typically French manner. Dark wood furniture, timber flooring, tall tables and stools along with standard tables and chairs are arranged to create a buzzy yet comfortable ambiance.

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We opted to try the Wine Cellar Experience. On arrival at O’Chateu we were lead from the main bar down the stone cellar staircase and through an entrance into the main brick basement vault. This super impressive wine cellar was stacked with rows and racks which line the exposed brick walls. In the centre of the main vault is a grand sized oak table and chairs, at its’ head, a display cabinet of prestige wines and glasses, and a large map of the French wine regions hangs on the wall as a testament to country’s  vast land wealth and diverse productive regions.

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To start the session, our Sommelier introduced himself and went through a summary of the agenda, which included  how to taste, view and determine age of different wines. The tasting session consisted of pairing 5 wines including Champagne, reds, whites and dessert wines, with a wonderful array of the upstairs bars’  delicious bread, cheese and cured meats, all of which complimented each other perfectly.  If there is one bar to visit for a fabulous wine experience in Paris, then this is most certainly it.

isango! offers a wine tasting at O Chateau’s wine cellars which costs from £26.12 per person. This two hour tour departs daily and includes cheese and wine and an English speaking guide. For more information, or to book, visit: www.isango.com