Paris in October means thinking about fun things to do like drinking good wine and sharing some laughs with friends. One of the best events in Paris is when the city’s only vineyard produces their wine. The Wine Festival at Montmartre is a celebration of wine from all over France. Competition for the gold medal award for the top drop is prized, often controversial and hotly debated over chilled oysters as discussion turns to wine prices.
This is one of my photo assignments during the Speos Magnum documentary & photojournalism course.
When the gold medalist proudly showed me her medal I thought she was showing me a chocolate coin. Normally, Parisians don’t like having their photos taken but this event brings out the exhibitionists.
This is my event photography assignment from the Magnum Photos Speos photojournalism course in October 2021. I’ve worked as an events photographer since 1981 so I put extra effort into this student presentation of a day’s working life as a photographer. 2,000 images in a day is a huge number for me and being there all day meant there were ample to choose from. Here’s my top 20 pictures of what I saw at a wine festival.
The temptation in the sequencing process was to make the story about money as shot by the photographer but that cynically takes away the joy in the pictures. The purpose of the festival was to make people happy as they mingled and shared laughs and good times with friends.
In the charming streets behind the Sacré-Coeur, you’ll find a hidden vineyard in Montartre – Le Clos Montmartre. The vineyard is located at the corner of rue des Saules and rue Saint-Vincent, and the gates to the vineyard are at 18 Rue des Saules. David Bowie randomly cut montage of text around so we’re reading whatever catches our eye.
Every one is a photographer these days. Entertainers were good buskers who filled the air with music while market stall holders sold their goods.
Magnum street photographer Richard Kavlar gave a portfolio review of “photographs that you’ve done this week”. His comments were “Do you know these people?”, the middle photo stayed on the screen for over a minute before someone noticed the other eye, and “Nice moment” of the image of children joining in with the busker.
The photo of the couple checking their cameras and phone was made within 10 seconds of the next image. The young women noticed my camera so I turned away to see this couple near the top of the stairs.
The ladies of the Abbey of Montmartre planted the first vines and developed wine production in the 12th century. In that age, the Butte or hillside, was three-quarters covered with grape vines. Grape vines have been planted on Butte Montmartre since at least 944.
A young woman delivers the “surprise” line in a joke being shared over lunch. Those oysters look good and the pies and rolls were delicious
The obligatory crowd and location photos of the event. Horizontal and vertical for the picture editors. The local church grounds where the event is held is Sacré Coeur Basilica with it’s stunningly beautiful stained glass windows reflecting and deflecting the diffused light while a single round beam of light enters the cathedral and onto the seats.
As an event photographer, I go in and quickly grab a few photos that will do the brief, satisfy the client, next go back over and consider, set up or blend into the crowd watching for action that has a peak moment. Privacy is an issue so as soon as I see someone uncomfortable with the camera, like many in Paris are because they’ve had those heated discussions, I stop. As a photographer I’m looking at the homeless issue …
Looking out for potential photos that depicted the homeless crisis we saw a shrouded body left on the steps in front of a church door and people praying inside a church as a shaft of light fills the air upon them. I’m not especially religious, more humanist, so my eye is on the light, correlating shapes and diagonals, placement of people, and hopefully here, mood. These two photographs were for the main project for Magnum Photos on social issues but were caught on the day of the photojournalism assignment, so here they are.
When it comes to wine, food and music, the French do it well. The French however are generally shy of having their photo taken by people they don’t know and I don’t blame them because I don’t like it myself. The accordion player is a well known busker on the streets at Montmartre.
Wine food and music at the wine festival. Signs are important to include in street photography as they place a image in time. So many stories to tell at a huge market stall like this. The day was a photographer’s dream job on assignment from Magnum Photos with Richard Kavlar reviewing them amid discussions on image selection and sequencing the images to tell the story visually.
As you can see I enjoy doing event photography. I like Ansell Adam’s advice that 12 good images in a year is a good crop so I try and do an event every month. Magnum Photos Speos photojournalism assignment: event photography. Top 20 photos of the day All Rights Reserved © Mark Anning photos 2021
Trivia and tourist information
Every 2nd weekend in October since 1934, wine produced from the La Clos Montmartre vineyard has been celebrated at Fête des vendanges de Montmartre – Montmartre Grape Harvest Festival – in the 18th arrondissement of Paris.
500,000 visitors are expected in the streets of Montmartre with exhibitions, concerts, parades, artisan and local products tastings provided for children and adults all over Montmartre. Fun events include the taste route, grand parade, picnic, closing ball, and the famous vineyard tours.
While in Montmartre, take time to see inside Sacré Coeur Basilica and the 19th-century Lapin Agile Cabaret House (across the street from Le Clos Montmartre vineyard), wander down the hill to Moulin Rouge and the Moulin de la Galette, and stroll along the many beautiful streets that make up this wonderful neighbourhood in Paris.
The fermentory and wine cellar are located in the basement of Montmartre’s council building – the Mairie of the 18th arrondissement. The vinification (fermentation process), bottling and wine sales, and the management of the vineyard is entrusted to the Comité des Fêtes et d’Actions Sociales de Montmartre – Committee of Festivals and Social Actions of the 18th – COFAS. The wine produced is auctioned and the proceeds go to social works in Montmartre.
Le Clos Montmartre vineyard is usually closed to the public, with small number of tours available throughout the year, mostly during the fall. A few tours occur during the Harvest Festival but they fill quickly and are in French, with no wine tasting. Another clever tour option is a package offered by the Musée Montmartre. The 36,00 € price includes a guided tour of the vineyards (in French), a tasting of the wine of Montmartre, 1 engraved glass of Clos Montmartre and a free visit of the museum.
If you’re lucky, you might secure a ticket to a vineyard tour here Fête des Vendanges. The Festival events are free. So is my page I have to note that I may get a small commission from my affiliates including Tripadvisor Top Travel Destination: Paris
Market stalls in the streets around the Sacré-Coeur Basilica sell glasses of champagne and wine from all over France, oysters and all sorts of delicious market food. Every one is a photographer these days.
Paris Sightseeing Tours with Paris CityVision
The Clos Montmartre vineyard was established by local Montmartre residents in 1933 to stop a real estate development project. A French law prevents any building on a vineyard. The “Vignes du Clos Montmartre” is the last wine vineyard operating in Paris city.
Vignes du Clos Montmartre has a large variety of grapes planted on the small 0.15 hectare (0.37 acre or 1556 sq m) vineyard. All of the Clos Montmartre wines are blended – and to be honest, aren’t the best tasting, so look for the many stalls selling wine from other French regions. The local vineyard produces about 1,000-1,500 bottles of wine per year so they have trucked in case loads of French wine for the stalls.
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