The People - Paris Bercy

The ground beneath where you stand was once part of a bustling, industrial village that defined the liquid life of Paris. Centuries ago, this area operated as the world’s largest wine market. Massive stone warehouses once lined these streets, receiving barges loaded with barrels from across France. Because the neighborhood sat just outside the city’s historic tax borders, wine flowed through here without the heavy levies imposed on the rest of Paris, turning the district into a haven for vintners, laborers, and festive open-air taverns known as guinguettes.