Paris Wine Stores

[Margaret Pilgrim]

For those of us who don't import our wine from the provinces, a user-friendly wine merchant in Paris is invaluable. We have had wonderful attention and service, resulting in excellent bottles, at Le Dernier Gout on rue de l'Abbaye in the 6th, at Tchin-Tchin on rue Montorgueil as well as at a shop on the 60s block of St. Dominique, whose name I forget. All of these shops encourage experimentation, and are delighted to discuss unusual wine areas and bottlings.

Do you have favorite shops where you return for familiar and new-to-you wines?

[robert brown]

Margaret, I have checked out a few wine shops recently. The best juice so far is at Caves Taillevent. I wouldn't call them "sympa" exactly, but they have a very good inventory, though not as large as the great NYC or SF stores since they are as ethnocentric as all the other shops. I don't know if they are the cheapest as I have found real bargains comingled with prices close to what one pays in the USA. They will fax you their inventory; at least they did to me. They cover the waterfront in terms of prices. A couple of others have caught my attention in the Guide Pudlo Paris guidebook, but I have not been to them yet.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Caves Taillevent is a nice shop but is better for higher end wines. They are well organized though with a carte on a stand listing all the wines they are offering. One can flip through the pages in a few minutes and decide if there is anything they want. Not much wine on display though.

[Bux]

A few years ago I was introduced to a little wine shop that specialized in wines from the Loire. Most of these, as I recall, were from small producers and personally selected by the owner of the shop. It may have been on rue de l'Abbé Grégoire south of Cherche Midi. It was in that area. A mutual friend pointed it out to us.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Another nice one in that area, Bux, is Ryst-Dupeyron on rue du Bac. I noticed some interesting vertical collections as well as unusual half bottles.

[cabrales]

A party recommended a vendor with the last name of Tetsuit (or a similar spelling) in the 1st arrondisement. Are members aware of such a wine vendor?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Cabrales, I would hazard a guess that your "Tetsuit" is in fact "Tchin-Tchin" that I mentioned in my original post. It is located on rue Montorgueil in 1e, betweem the church of St. Eustache and rue Etienne Marcel.

They are indeed very helpful and always interested in requests for unusual wines as well as delighted to recommend bottles from their stock of non-mainstream vintners.

(While I love the French language, I have learned that it is 100 times easier to establish the phonetics of a written word than it is to arrive at the written word from the spoken. I always carry a small card case and pen so that I can have people write down their recommendations or directions. Most of the time I find that I would never have come up with the actual spelling in a million years!)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Enchanted by its storefront, we wandered into Legrande Fille & Fils (1, rue de la Banque, 2e, Paris) last week. I was looking for chataigne liqueur and, besides finding it, discovered a distinguished epicerie, spirits and wine shop. The store meanders through the depth of the building and exits into the Gallerie Vivienne. The fancy-food stock is varied and well chosen while the wines include many from small and unusual vintners. Tasting is encouraged. The service was generous, informative and interested in our future as well as immediate needs. This most hospitable shop will be a regular destination for us.

[magnolia]

Enchanted by its storefront, we wandered into Legrande Fille & Fils (1, rue de la Banque, 2e, Paris) last week.  I was looking for chataigne liqueur and, besides finding it, discovered a distinguished epicerie, spirits and wine shop. The store meanders through the depth of the building and exits into the Gallerie Vivienne. The fancy-food stock is varied and well chosen while the wines include many from small and unusual vintners. Tasting is encouraged. The service was generous, informative and interested in our future as well as immediate needs.  This most hospitable shop will be a regular destination for us.

Thanks for reminding me of Legrand - for some reason I always forget to stop by there even though it's really nice. They hold classes/seminars there I believe. My all time fave is still Augé although it is more for high end wines, and the collection is very idiosyncratic. La Grande Epicerie has a terrific wine department too though not as 'romantic' as shopping in a dedicated cave...

[Beachfan]

I can give a limited endorsement to Lavini, 3 Boulevard Madelaine. They had a very large and interesting assortment. While their prices on collectables is no bargain, they had 1998 Pegau Reserve CNP for 24 euros.

The limitation is that although they had an excellent price on Ogier 1999 Cote Rotie, and maintained that they still had some, they couldn't find it in the two business days available. They will ship to the US (about 140 euros for 6 bottles, which impacts the math quite a bit).

In general, it pays to know your US prices before buying in France if you intend to bring back.

[robert brown]

Are you sure you don't mean a sympathetic tea shop?

[Beachfan]

Are you sure you don't mean a sympathetic tea shop?

?????

[robert brown]

Beachfan, are you familiar with one of Deborah Kerr's most famous movie roles? It started out as a stage production. I bet Margaret knows it.

[anil]

I do not live long enough in a year really focus on a wine merchant. We do indeed ask our friends to keep a few bottles aside for consumption. If I can't carry on-board I will not bring along - hence, a max of four amongst the two of us on the flight back home.

[John Whiting]

In another thread several months ago -- perhaps even in Chowhound -- SimonM (I think) named a Paris wine merchant in a small shop who was particularly helpful. If I remember correctly, he supplied la Regalade. Does this ring any bells?

[magnolia]

Hmmm...Simon hated la Regalade so I don't think he would have mentioned their wine supplier.

My personal fave is Caves Augé, who happen to have a large Armagnac collection - so does La Regalade - so perhaps they know each other but I've no specific info on that. Also OK for atmosphere and friendliness (but not great on price) is...I want to say Legrand Filles? something like that - just near if not on rue Richelieu...

[jaybee]

Ryst-Dupeyron

79 rue du Bac, 7th arr.,

(011) 33 1 45 48 80 93

This shop specializes in amazing and well priced armagnac, though they also sell wines and other spirits. My nephew found them extremely courteous and helpful when he was searching out good armagnac. The company has a web site which is interesting to browse.

Dupeyron Web Site

Reading backwards on this thread, I see that Margaret Pilgrim has listed this shop. We seem to be on the same page lately.

[John Whiting]

Magnolia writes

My personal fave is Caves Augé . . .

That is indeed the name I was trying to remember. I've only just spotted it in the Time Out Paris guide and recognized it. It was perhaps Steve P who recommended it to me. It was several months ago

[thefoodhunter]

Le Verre Vole 67 rue de lancry in the 10th arrondissement. Jazz and techno soundtrack to a selection of "natural" wines from lesser known regions (i.e. Côtes d'Auvergne) as well as small producers from all over France. real nice guys; the new generation of wine stores.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Maggie - Marc Sibard the owner of Caves Auge is close friends with Yves Candeborde and his wife. In fact last time I was going to eat dinner there, Marc sent me with a little note for them on his card. I'm not sure if he supplies the restaurant, but they certainly seem to carry many of the same wines. Most notably the wines of Domaine Gramenon.

[magnolia]

Maggie - Marc Sibard the owner of Caves Auge is close friends with Yves Candeborde and his wife. In fact last time I was going to eat dinner there, Marc sent me with a little note for them on his card. I'm not sure if he supplies the restaurant, but they certainly seem to carry many of the same wines. Most notably the wines of Domaine Gramenon.

Makes sense then. Other good Armagnaquerie (have I just coined a phrase) is Hélène Darroze, her father is/was a producer. I think she sells retail at her restaurant as well though probably much of what she has is not available to the publique.

[helenas]

There is an article about Marc Sibard and his wine shop Auge in March issue of "House&Garden", called "A Purist in Paris"

"... Sibard's shop is a friendly venue for anyone coming in off the street...He prefers a leisurely chat with those who drop in and show curiosity, no matter if they buy or not."

The other shops that are recommended as "sharing Marc Sibard's high regard for the honest vintage" are

La Cave de l'Os a Moelle;

Le Verre Vole;

Vivin;

Les Caves de Chateau;

[fresh_a]

Le Vere Vole is pretty cool. I like the Canal Saint Martin area alot.

[saveur]

Enchanted by its storefront, we wandered into Legrande Fille & Fils (1, rue de la Banque, 2e, Paris) last week.  I was looking for chataigne liqueur and, besides finding it, discovered a distinguished epicerie, spirits and wine shop. The store meanders through the depth of the building and exits into the Gallerie Vivienne. The fancy-food stock is varied and well chosen while the wines include many from small and unusual vintners. Tasting is encouraged. The service was generous, informative and interested in our future as well as immediate needs.  This most hospitable shop will be a regular destination for us.

Thanks for reminding me of Legrand - for some reason I always forget to stop by there even though it's really nice. They hold classes/seminars there I believe. My all time fave is still Augé although it is more for high end wines, and the collection is very idiosyncratic. La Grande Epicerie has a terrific wine department too though not as 'romantic' as shopping in a dedicated cave...

Having just arrived in Paris for a 3 mo. sejour, I also appreciated having found Legrande Fille & Fils. The store is definitely worth a visit. I went in looking for a shop that could help me take advantage of my stay and discover French wines, as my knowledge of wines is limited mostly to American wines and some Bordeaux, and indeed I found it. My goal over the next three months is to do a broad survey of French wines, so the plan was to pick a region ask the sommelier to recommend three bottles that represent the region well, and repeat with another region after those bottle were gone. After explaining my strategy to the sommelier, he spent some time with me chatting and sifting through their collection: indeed the service was generous. My spoken French is decent, but it was still nice to have patient and friendly service, especially when your goal is to learn. They DO have wine tastings, and classes too. The tastings are Tuesday evenings, and a bit pricey, but may be worth it. (They're conducted in French, although they have ones in English, and one of the sommeliers who speaks English assured me he would help me with any translations that I'd need, especially of technical wine terms). I get the impression that they get many interesting vintners coming in to do these wine tastings, so it seems like something a serious oenophile would enjoy, as well as something those that are more 'debutant' like me too. I've signed up for a Burgundy tasting next Tuesday, so maybe I'll have more to report after that. I've also signed up for a 2000 Bordeaux tasting on the 15th of April, to taste this much-talked about vintage!

-rl

Edited March 22, 2003 by saveur (log)

[Felice]

I stopped by La Derniere Goute last night and was told that they are going to be holding tastings with the wine maker every Saturday in Oct, Nov, and Dec--and they're free.

The first one starts this Sat, 9 October with Domaine la Colombette (D'OC and Coteaux du Libron) & Domaine Piquemal (Cotes du Roussillon).

The tastings are informal and are held from (roughly) from 11h-13h30 and 16h-19h30.

On the 16th October it will be Chateau Sainte-Anne from Bandol.

23 October--Domaine la Soufrandise (Pouilly-Fuissé)

I will list the rest if anyone is interested as I have the list through Dec.