Day trip to Paris for Vignobles & Signatures 25th anniversary tasting

Restaurant Laurent on the Avenue Gabriel just off the Champs-Élysées

From time to time it is good to have a respite from the daily grind of wine writing and enjoy a treat. Today was one such occasion – a day trip to Paris on the Eurostar even if it did mean getting up around 5.20am to catch the 7.25am from Saint-Pancras International – to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Vignobles & Signatures – Les Club des Grands Domaines at the Restaurant Laurent.

There are 16 family estates in V&S from all over France: Paul Blanck et Fils (Alsace), Champagne Drappier from the Aube, Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape), Domaine de l'Hortus (Pic Saint-Loup), Château de Tracy (Pouilly-Fumé), Domaine Cauhapé (Jurançon), Jean Durup (Chablis), Guilbaud Frères (Muscadet), Domaine Rolet (Arbois), Joseph Janoueix (Saint-Emilion), Couly-Dutheil (Chinon), Saint André de Figuière, Antonin Guyon (Burgundy) and Louis Tête (Beaujolais).

Restaurant Laurent: part of the wedding cake construction

I arrived at Paris' Gare du Nord just before 11am and took the Metro to Place de la Concorde. It was a lovely, sunny autumnal day and I enjoyed the short stroll up the Avenue Gabriel to the Restaurant Laurent, which is a glorious wedding-cake confection.

Soon after I arrived it was time for the photographer to take the group photo to mark the 25th anniversary, so I caught a quick shot of the photographer and Pascal Guilbaud, president of the association trying to get the group into the required order.