Although the trade of a wine-merchant is one of the oldest established in Paris, it does not follow that the retail sale of wine was exclusively carried on by special tradesmen.  On the contrary, for a long time the owner of the vineyard retailed the wine which he had not been able to sell in the cask.  A broom, a laurel-wreath, or some other sign of the sort hung over a door, denoted that any one passing could purchase or drink wine within.  When the wine-growers did not have the quality and price of their wine announced in the village or town by the public crier, they placed a man before the door of their cellar, who enticed the public to enter and taste the new wines.  Other proprietors, instead of selling for people to take away in their own vessels, established a tavern in some room of their house, where they retailed drink (Fig. 107).  The monks, who made wine extensively, also opened these taverns in the monasteries, as they only consumed part of their wine themselves; and this system was universally adopted by wine-growers, and even by the king and the nobles.  The latter, however, had this advantage, that, whilst they were retailing their wines, no one in the district was allowed to enter into competition with them.  This prescriptive right, which was called droit de ban-vin, was still in force in the seventeenth century.

Saint Louis granted special statutes to the wine-merchants in 1264; but it was only three centuries later that they formed a society, which was divided into four classes, namely, hotel-keepers, publichouse-keepers, tavern proprietors, and dealers in wine a pot, that is, sold to people to take away with them.  Hotel-keepers, also called aubergistes, accommodated travellers, and also put up horses and carriages.  The dealers a pot sold wine which could not be drunk on their premises.  There was generally a sort of window in their door through which the empty pot was passed, to be returned filled:  hence the expression, still in use in the eighteenth century, vente a huis coupe (sale through a cut door).  Publichouse-keepers supplied drink as well as nappe et assiette (tablecloth and plate), which meant that refreshments were also served.  And lastly, the taverniers sold wine to be drunk on the premises, but without the right of supplying bread or meat to their customers (Figs 108 and 109).

[Illustration:  Fig. 108.—­Banner of the Corporation of the Publichouse-keepers of Montmedy.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 109.—­Banner of the Corporation of the Publichouse-keepers of Tonnerre.]