Paris: French Wine and Cheese Guided Tasting

The clever part of this Paris tasting is that Simon does not simply pour wine and name the grape. He teaches you how to look, smell, and taste, then uses perfume samples to help you recognize aromas. By the end, you have a practical method for choosing wine at a Paris restaurant, not just a pleasant buzz.

I like the small group of no more than eight, which leaves room for questions and gives the class a friendly, informal feel. I also like the regional approach: wine, cheese, climate, geography, and food all connect. The main consideration is price. At $82 per person, this is not a quick drink and snack, but it needs to feel worthwhile if you already know French wine well.

Key points to know before booking

• Five pours and five cheeses: Taste two white wines, two reds, and one champagne, each paired with a different cheese.
• Simon leads the class: The owner of L’OenoVice explains French wine in English or French, with a light, humorous style.
• Perfume sharpens your nose: Aroma samples help you identify scents that can otherwise be hard to put into words.
• A real lesson, not just a tasting: You learn about French regions, grapes, climate, history, and food matching.
• Small and intimate: The group is limited to eight, though some sessions may be much smaller.
• Two hours in a Paris wine bar: The experience takes place at L’OenoVice and is wheelchair accessible.

What happens at L’OenoVice

You meet Simon at L’OenoVice, his wine bar, and begin with an introduction to French wine. This is not a walking tour through several districts. You settle into one place and spend the next two hours learning how the bottle in front of you came to taste the way it does.

Simon’s opening lesson covers French wine regions, grape varieties, climate, and location. That foundation matters because French wine labels can seem like a geography test. Instead of focusing only on grape names, French wine often points you toward a place, and the place tells you something about the soil, weather, and style.

You also get a bit of wine history and a clear explanation of why two wines made from similar grapes can taste quite different. For a first-time wine drinker, this gives useful context without requiring prior knowledge. For a wine fan, it provides a chance to connect familiar styles with French regions and traditions.

The setting is a small wine bar rather than a grand cellar or formal dining room. That makes the class feel personal. It also means the atmosphere may be cozy in the literal sense. One visitor found the bar warm, though opening the large doors helped. If you prefer lots of space and a cool, polished tasting room, keep that in mind.

Learning to taste wine in three simple steps

Simon teaches a basic tasting sequence that you can use anywhere in Paris:

1. Look at the wine and note its color.
2. Smell it before tasting.
3. Taste it and consider what you notice.

This sounds simple, but many people rush straight to the last step. The pause between looking, smelling, and tasting helps you pay attention to changes in aroma and flavor. It also gives you a way to describe wine without reaching for vague words such as good or bad.

The perfume samples are one of the most distinctive parts of the class. Simon uses them to train your sense of smell and help you connect a familiar scent with the aromas in a glass of wine. This is especially useful if you think you have a poor nose. You do not need to identify every scent perfectly. The point is to slow down and practice noticing.

I like this teaching method because it takes some mystery out of tasting. Wine language can sound grander than it needs to be, but smelling a perfume sample gives you a concrete reference. You can then return to the wine and see whether you notice a similar character.

The white wines and cheese pairings

The tasting includes two glasses of white wine, each served with a different cheese. The exact bottles and cheeses are not specified in advance, so you should expect the selection to change. That is normal for a small, locally run tasting, and it allows Simon to choose products that work well together.

The cheese is not just a snack placed beside the wine. Simon explains how the two affect each other. A cheese can soften a wine, bring out its fruit, sharpen its acidity, or make a flavor seem fuller. Trying the wine alone and then with cheese helps you understand pairing through your own palate.

This is one of the most useful parts for anyone who enjoys eating out. You learn to think about balance rather than matching by color alone. White wine is not automatically limited to light dishes, and the right cheese can change how a wine feels in your mouth.

The class also links the cheeses to French regions and food traditions. That gives the tasting a stronger sense of place than a generic cheese board. You are learning not only what tastes good together, but why particular foods and wines have developed side by side.

Two red wines, with practical food advice

The next stage brings two red wines, again paired with different cheeses. This gives you a chance to compare the structure of red wine with the texture and strength of each cheese.

Simon explains how to choose wine for a meal, which is more useful than memorizing a long list of strict rules. You learn to consider the character of the dish, the intensity of the cheese, and the way the wine changes when you take a bite.

The red portion is also a good test of your own preferences. Some people arrive certain they prefer red wine, while others find the whites easier to enjoy. Because the pours come from different regions and styles, you can compare rather than settle on a single idea of what French red wine tastes like.

The teaching style is accessible to beginners. People with no wine background can follow the class, ask basic questions, and still come away with useful habits. At the same time, the format has enough regional detail to keep a serious food lover interested. A chef in one group still found new things to learn, which suggests Simon does not reduce the subject to beginner slogans.

Champagne finishes the tasting

The final pour is champagne. It gives the tasting a celebratory close and lets you compare sparkling wine with the still whites and reds that came before it.

Champagne is more than a festive extra here. It completes the range of styles and shows how bubbles, acidity, and texture affect a pairing. You can consider the same questions again: What do you smell? How does it taste alone? What changes when you eat the cheese?

The tasting includes five glasses in total: two whites, two reds, and one champagne. The portions are designed for tasting rather than a full evening of drinking, but five pours over two hours still make this an adults-only activity. You should plan the rest of your day sensibly, especially if you have other wine or cocktail plans afterward.

The exact champagne selection may vary. One past participant particularly enjoyed a bottle connected to Simon’s family, but that should not be treated as a guaranteed part of every session.

Why Simon’s teaching style matters

The strongest reason to book this experience is Simon himself. He is described as passionate, funny, patient, and able to explain complicated ideas in an approachable way. That combination matters because wine classes can easily become either too technical or too shallow.

Simon’s own bar gives him a practical angle. He can talk about what works at the table, what to order in a Paris restaurant, and how to make a choice when the wine list feels intimidating. His advice is not limited to tasting-room vocabulary.

The small group helps here. With a maximum of eight people, you have a better chance to ask about a grape, region, pairing, or bottle that interests you. Some sessions have had only two or three people, creating an especially relaxed class. Group size can vary, so do not book expecting a private lesson, but the format is far more personal than a large lecture.

Simon teaches in English and French. His English has been easy for English-speaking participants to follow, though one person noted his accent. If you are comfortable asking for a point to be repeated, the class should suit you well. His patience with questions is a clear advantage for beginners.

Is $82 a fair price?

At $82 per person, you are paying for more than five small pours. The price includes five wines, five cheeses, a two-hour lesson, and Simon’s guidance. You also get a setting where the food and wine are chosen to work together rather than presented as unrelated samples.

I consider it fair value if you want a structured introduction to French wine. The class gives you information you can use for the rest of your trip, especially when ordering at restaurants or shopping for bottles. Several people found the pairings and teaching strong enough to return or buy bottles they had tasted.

The value is less clear if your main aim is quantity. This is not a wine-and-cheese lunch, and food or drinks beyond the listed tasting are not included. You are paying for instruction and comparison, not a full meal.

It is also worth comparing the experience with other Paris options. Some tastings focus on six wines, a larger cheese board, a chef-led meal, a cellar setting, or a walking food tour. L’OenoVice makes more sense if you want direct contact with one enthusiastic guide and a lesson built around tasting technique.

One practical issue is buying bottles afterward. The tasting can help you identify wines you like, but shipping information for taking purchases home is not included. If you plan to bring bottles back to your country, ask about the rules and transport options before buying.

Who should book this tasting?

I would point beginners here first. If French wine labels make little sense to you, Simon’s explanation of regions, grapes, climate, and place gives you a useful starting point. You do not need to arrive with a vocabulary of tasting terms.

It also suits couples and food-focused visitors who want something quieter than a large culinary tour. The intimate bar setting leaves time for conversation, and the cheese pairings make the experience feel tied to French eating habits rather than just beverage sampling.

Experienced wine drinkers can enjoy it too, especially if they like regional comparisons and food pairing. Still, if you already take advanced tasting classes, you may find the material familiar. The strength is Simon’s clear presentation and the chance to taste five selected combinations, not a highly technical certification course.

This is not suitable for children under 18 or pregnant women. The experience is wheelchair accessible, and the tour is offered in English or French. Since the class lasts two hours, it fits neatly into a Paris day without taking over the entire afternoon or evening.

Small details that improve the experience

Arrive ready to participate, not just sip. Look closely at the wine, smell it before tasting, and try the cheese both with and without the wine. The class becomes much more useful when you notice the change instead of waiting for Simon to describe it.

Bring questions. Simon’s strength is his willingness to explain, and the small group makes this a good place to ask about ordering in restaurants, pairing wine with a meal, or understanding a French region.

Do not judge the class only by the number of bottles. Five wines may sound modest compared with a large tasting, but the side-by-side cheese pairings and perfume exercise give each pour a job. You are learning a repeatable method, not racing through samples.

The bar can feel warm at times, particularly when the doors are closed. That is a minor comfort issue rather than a reason to avoid the experience, but visitors sensitive to heat should know the setting is a compact wine bar.

Cancellation is flexible: you can cancel up to 24 hours before the experience for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. Starting times vary, so check availability when you choose your date.

Should you book it?

Book this tasting if you want to understand French wine instead of simply drinking it. Simon’s mix of regional background, tasting technique, perfume-based scent training, and cheese pairing gives you practical skills you can use at the next Paris restaurant.

I would skip it only if you want a full meal, a large cellar tour, or a much more advanced wine course. For everyone else, the small group, five carefully matched tastings, and friendly instruction make the $82 price reasonable. It is particularly useful early in a Paris visit, when you can put Simon’s advice to work over the rest of your trip.

FAQ

Where does the wine and cheese tasting take place?

The experience takes place at L’OenoVice, Simon’s wine bar in Paris.

How long does the tasting last?

The tasting lasts two hours. Starting times vary, so check availability for your chosen date.

How many wines and cheeses are included?

You taste five wines: two whites, two reds, and one champagne. Five kinds of cheese are included, with one cheese paired with each wine.

Is the experience offered in English?

Yes. The live guide can lead the experience in English or French.

Is the tasting suitable for children or pregnant women?

No. The experience is not suitable for children under 18 or pregnant women.

Can I cancel or pay later?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve your place and pay later.