World’s largest hotel wine cellar launches Cognac to mark 150 years

Monaco’s Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo launches Cognac and opens the doors of the world’s largest wine cellar, housing 350,000 bottles, to the public to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

First opened in 1874, the wine cellar of the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo will play host to a a series of dinners and masterclasses in partnership with wine and Champagne estates from across France to mark the occasion.

Additionally, Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo’s wine cellar is renewing its production tradition to launch the Grande Champagne Premier Cru de Cognac, an XO Extra Old quality Champagne Cognac.

Master sommeliers at the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, the resort which houses the hotel, have selected rare vintages which have been used for the Cognac launch commemorating the anniversary. The Cognac will be available from April 2024 in the bars at the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Resort, in the Cellars in Hôtel de Paris, and the Casino de Monte-Carlo boutique.

The Monaco hotel’s wine cellar is the largest hotel wine cellar in the world, carved into the rock under the palace in January 1874 at the request of Marie Blanc, the wife of François Blanc, founder of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer.

The cellar itself occupies over 1,500m², housing over 350,000 bottles across 1.5 kilometres, with approximately 6,000 different labels.

Masterclasses and dinners also being offered as part of the anniversary programme will feature wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône and Loire Valleys as well as Champagne. Bottles chosen have been selected to complement the existing wine list and showcase the heritage of the cellars, the hotel has said.

To coincide with the 150th anniversary, the cellars are undergoing a two-staged renovation project, beginning with a new entrance, reception, and tasting room, designed with the Moinard firm. The second phase is planned between November 2024 and March 2025.