Sommelier Cheese Lunch

Paris Wine Tasting plus Cheese Lunch with an Expert Sommelier runs through Ô Chateau. Rated 4.8 across 448 reviews. Runs 2 hours. From $97.

Overview

Five wines, one of them a Champagne, and a spread of French cheeses form the core of this two-hour lunch tasting led by a professional sommelier at O Chateau. The session takes place in a private tasting room, with the sommelier guiding the group through the wines and how they pair with the cheeses. The setup is a seated table format rather than a walking tour.

The tasting starts at 12:15 and ends back at the same address, 68 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 1st arrondissement, which sits a short walk from Chatelet-Les-Halles, Louvre-Rivoli and Etienne Marcel metro stations. Groups vary in size between six and twenty-five people, and travellers regularly describe meeting visitors from several countries around the table. The format suits both novices and people who already know wine: reviewers mention that dedicated enthusiasts in their groups still learned things, and that sommeliers were approachable and happy to answer questions.

Everyone must be at least eighteen, and the venue is not wheelchair accessible. Gratuities and hotel transfers are not included. Some reviewers suggest booking it early in a trip so the pairing knowledge is useful at dinners afterwards.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at O ChateauArrive at 68 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 1st arrondissement for a 12:15 start. The address is about six minutes on foot from the Louvre.
2. Take your seatThe group gathers in the venue's private tasting room. Expect a seated format with other travellers, not a walk between venues.
3. Guided wine tastingA professional sommelier presents five French wines, including one Champagne, explaining regions and pairings as the tasting goes.
4. Cheese pairingA selection of French cheeses accompanies the wines as the sommelier explains how the flavours work together.
5. Optional extrasReviewers mention ordering additional items such as a charcuterie plate on the day, at their own cost.
6. End at the meeting pointThe experience finishes back at the same address, leaving the afternoon free for nearby sights.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help you get the most from this lunch tasting, from getting there to how the table works.

• Getting there. Make your own way to the venue, since hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. Chatelet-Les-Halles, Louvre-Rivoli and Etienne Marcel stations are the closest options.
• Group feel. Groups range from six to twenty-five people, with a maximum of twenty-six travellers. Reviews often mention a mixed international table, with visitors from several countries sharing the session.
• Food and drink. Five wines and a selection of cheeses are included, with one Champagne in the lineup. Anything ordered beyond the included selection is at your own cost.
• Pace and setting. This is a seated two-hour tasting rather than a walking tour, so no particular fitness is needed.
• Questions welcome. Multiple reviewers praise the sommeliers as approachable and happy to answer questions, and several describe them as knowledgeable.
• Timing it right. The 12:15 start makes this a natural lunch stop before an afternoon of sightseeing. Some suggest booking it early in a trip so the pairing knowledge is useful at dinners afterwards.

Common issues. The venue is not wheelchair accessible, and everyone must be eighteen or older. The experience needs a minimum number of travellers to run, and if that minimum is not met it may be cancelled, with a different date or a full refund offered.

Before You Book A Tour