Hi friends! I’ve just returned from a whirlwind trip to France to attend Wine Paris. This international wine trade show exclusively for professionals brings together wine producers, agents, buyers, importers and sommeliers from all over the world for three days of networking, conferences, masterclasses, and of course, wine tastings.
This was my first time attending a show of this magnitude, and admittedly, it was pretty overwhelming. Especially because an unfortunately timed virus took me out for Day 1, leaving me with only two days to tackle 6,500 producers from 63 different countries. Grab a glass of wine and read on to relive my Wine Paris experience!
FUN FINDS – old faves and new discoveries
I have no idea how many wines I tasted over the course of my two days at Wine Paris. But one thing’s for sure: spitting was my best friend. It allowed me to taste wines from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and not suffer from palate fatigue or get totally intoxicated. It required a great deal of discipline, but this was an industry trade show, so everybody was spitting. And it showed. I did not see a single drunk person, and that is pretty rare for an event serving all-you-can-drink alcoholic beverages.
On my first day, I spent most of my time aimlessly wandering, just trying to get my bearings. See Exhibits A and B below. 16,685 steps and many wines later, I felt like I had barely scratched the surface (because I hadn’t).
On my second day, I had a game plan: to taste wines from regions that were new to me or hard to find in Canada.
I have tried to synthesize all the information amassed over the course of these two days into a digestible post. Here goes nothing!
LANGUEDOC
Maison Chape – Petrus Erwan is a new négociant in the Languedoc/Southwest region of France who is making some really fun and deliciously modern wines. FYI a négociant is what we would call a virtual winery here in Canada, since they purchase grapes from their favourite vineyards and vinify them in rented winemaking facilities.
Keep an eye out for this organic Faugères (a blend of grenache, carignan and syrah) from his Accord Parfait (Perfect Pairing) line, coming soon to Canada.
Mas de Capdaniel – Have you heard of the Terrasses de Larzac appellation? If not, let me be the first to put it on the map for you. From Montpellier, head west for 25 kilometres, and you will be in the heart of this region known for wine and sheep. This was my second time tasting with Sophie from Mas de Capdaniel. She is absolutely lovely and is so passionate about her wines. I adored her cinsault rosé and hope the Domaine will one day reach our shores.
BORDEAUX
I’m not usually a huge fan of Bordeaux, but Joël Duffau has changed that. Joël is a ninth-generation winemaker working in Bordeaux’s Entre-Deux-Mers region. His wines are organic, which is rare in a region where fungus and insects are notoriously problematic. I particularly enjoyed his French Claret, a throwback to the old British term for Bordeaux wines. It’s a very light merlot, very easy to drink yet simultaneously complex—a perfect summer red. Keep an eye out for Joël’s Château La Mothe du Barry wines, which pop up every now and then at the SAQ. His Bordeaux Supérieur is currently available for $18.65 – a steal for Bordeaux! In Ontario, you can order his wines by the case through Maître de Chai.
LOIRE
I spent quite a bit of time at the Domaine de la Taille aux Loups – La Butte stand and tasted too many of their wines to count. Standouts included their Triple Zéro pet nats. Their cabernet francs are equally out of this world. In Quebec, you can occasionally find them at the SAQ, or you can private order them from Vini-Vins.
JURA
The Jura region, located in eastern France between Burgundy and Switzerland, is known for its vin jaune, a wine made from local white grape savagnin that is aged “sous voile” (under a “veil” of lees), producing a sherry-like oxidized and nutty flavour. At Wine Paris, I tasted some less typical Jura wines from Château de Verreux. This relatively new winery is a proponent of listening to the land, cultivating their grapes biodynamically to encourage the terroir to flourish. Their refreshing Savagnin Ouillé was right up my alley. We rarely see wines from the Jura here in Canada, mainly because they are made in such limited quantities that they are mostly sold within France. However, you can sometimes find their traditional-method sparkling, Crémant du Jura.
SAVOIE
Savoie is another small winemaking region in eastern France that is steadily gaining visibility on this side of the pond. This cool-climate, high-altitude winemaking region in the Alps grows indigenous grapes like jacquère, roussanne, chasselas (whites) and mondeuse (red), producing fresh, minerally wines. with an incredibly unique flavour profile. I had the pleasure of chatting with Didier Berthollier, who produces biodynamic Savoyard wines in the village of Chignin. The wines of Savoie are slowly but surely coming into the LCBO and SAQ in greater numbers, and I for one will be looking out for them.
CORSICA
Corsica is a French island in the Mediterranean with staunchly Italian roots—with that kind of heritage you know the wine is going to be amazing! With winemaking history going back millennia, the island’s warm, dry climate and mountainous terrain is ideal for growing grapes. The vermentino grape is the star here, as well as native grapes such as biancu gentile, niellucciu and sciaccarellu. For a perfect intro to Corsican wines, check out the wines from Domaine Vetriccie, coming soon to the LCBO!
UK
British traditional method sparkling wine – can we get some of this over here please? It’s great! I tasted through the Henners portfolio and was super impressed. It’s no wonder England is taking home all the awards for sparkling wines these days.
OREGON
While wandering through one of the International pavilions, I realized it had been a while since I’ve had an Oregon pinot noir (one of my fave pinot regions). I had a nice chat with Oregon winemaker John Grochau from GC Wines. He asked me to tell you that American winemakers miss us Canadians, but that they totally understand why they have become persona non grata. It was really great to taste Oregon wines again. It’s been too long.
INTERNATIONAL WINES
With wines from 63 countries, it was hard to get to them all. I would have loved to taste some Moldovan wines again, or try some Georgian or Armenian wines.
I did try some Brazilian sparklers and spent quite a bit of time tasting Turkish wines from Buyulubag Winery (which loosely translates as “magical vineyard”). The Turkish wine was super interesting, very herbal and savoury. I bet it goes great with Turkish food, and now I want to go to Turkey.
MASTERCLASSES AND CONFERENCES
I attended several fascinating masterclasses and conferences:
– Iconic appellations of the Loire Valley and their distinctive grape varieties
– A blind tasting challenge that highlighted just how difficult it is to distinguish between similar wines (four Burgundy pinot noirs, to be exact), even after taking our own tasting notes.
– Panel discussions exploring industry trends, from wine lists in 2026 (think affordability and more by-the-glass options) to the innovative ways modern winemakers are integrating technology into their craft. A personal highlight was meeting Pascaline Lepeltier, Master Sommelier, Beverage Director at Chambers in NYC, author of One Thousand Vines (if anyone needs a gift idea for me) and one of my somm idols.
– A particularly tough blind tasting of fortified wines—a humbling experience that has served both as a kick in the butt to refresh my knowledge in this category and inspo for a future post. Stay tuned!
INDUSTRY TRENDS AND CONCERNS
NOLO WINE
NOLO wines refer to no- and low-alcohol wines. For the first time ever, Wine Paris had a dedicated BE NO pavilion, signalling the category’s meteoric rise in popularity. At the self-serve tasting area, I tried several sparkling and still versions; I found the sparkling masked the lack of alcohol better, but most still wines lacked the acidity and complexity of traditional wines. Like all wine, finding a good NOLO option is a matter of personal taste and experimentation. This trend is a clear response to the rising number of people trying to eliminate alcohol from their diet for a myriad of reasons, and I suspect that the options will improve over time.
WINE-STYLE TEA
I don’t think this trend has hit Canada yet, but wine-style tea is a whole thing I discovered at Wine Paris. Part of the NOLO category, it is tea that is served like wine. Whether sparkling or still, these beverages are served from a wine bottle with all the ceremony and tradition of wine, elevating tea to a sophisticated and elegant experience. It’s making a splash in fine dining establishments all over Europe, so I suspect it’s just a matter of time before it crosses the pond.
DWINDLING DRINKERS
From chats with winemakers to conferences and masterclasses, the recurring theme throughout the entire event was that global wine consumption is declining. Younger generations aren’t drinking as much, and reaching and educating them requires coming up with completely new methods, instead of relying on what has worked in the past. Instead of being a luxury item, wine needs to become accessible to everyone. Ready-to-drink (RTD) packaging, like cans or pouches, is breathing new life into what can certainly be seen as a stodgy industry.
LOCAL COMPLEXITIES – LCBO
From a more local standpoint, when asked whether their wines were available in Ontario, many winemakers, particularly those from smaller wineries, would just shake their heads, saying that trying to get into the LCBO is too difficult (and expensive). As a result, Ontarians are missing out on some AMAZING wines. Perhaps it’s time for our provincial monopoly to take a look at their processes and see if it really needs to be so complicated.
CLIMATE CHANGE
This goes without saying, but climate change is definitely top of mind for anyone who works in agriculture, and winemakers are no exception. France specifically has had a slew of challenging vintages, with damaging weather ranging from hail, never-ending heatwaves and drought, to detrimental springtime frost or devastating forest fires. This extreme weather requires outside-the-box solutions, and winemakers must resort to a whole toolkit of tricks to counter what nature throws at them.
WINE PARIS – LESSONS LEARNED
- This show is HUGE. You need to look at the map ahead of time and have a plan to avoid wandering aimlessly (says the girl who walked 10 km one day).
- Spitting is non-negotiable.
- Comfortable shoes are a must.
- Conferences and masterclasses are a great way to give your feet (and palate) a little break.
- Mornings tend to be quieter. The early bird gets the worm!
- Do NOT get sick. I really could have used that third day. Next time!
Cheers to you if you made it to the end of this epic post! Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments what section you would have made a beeline for at Wine Paris!
Signing off for now with this hilariously inaccurate AI-generated photo of me (on the left; actual photo of me on the right for comparison’s sake 😂). Happy wining!
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