A Canadian sommelier from a Paris restaurant that serves 1940 wines from Nazi Germany is citing ineptitude and denying he endorses Nazism after sparking controversy.
The Vantre establishment in Paris’ 11th arrondissement offers two references on its menu for $1,000 and $1,400 under the name “Les raisins du IIIe Reich,” La Dépêche reported on Tuesday.
“These are wines that I found from a collector who still had a few bottles left,” admits sommelier Marco Pelletier to the newspaper “Libération,” referring to “historic wines” from a cellar with 45,000 bottles.
Mr. Pelletier admits that three bottles from 1940 appear in his wine inventory, a register he shows only to in-the-know customers, but denies representing Nazi ideology.
“These wines are only at the origin of the restaurant’s menu, a register that brings together all the wines stored in our cellar and is consulted only by the best connoisseurs and wine lovers,” the sommelier added in a long post on Instagram.
The Canadian sommelier hinted that he wanted to remove these “Nazi wines” from the menu at the restaurant, which was recognized by the “Revue du vin de France” for its wine list in 2021, according to the French daily.