Buying wine at Auchan?

[Sea Urchin Ragout]

Does anyone here brave Auchan during the festive season to stock up on festive staples of wine, champagne or even foie gras?

They do seem to have incredible offers but I'm always a bit hesitant to buy wine from those evil big supermarkets especially when the prices seem too good to be true. Example, Fitou reserve 2005, € 5 per bottle.

Any opinions?

[John Talbott]

Does anyone here brave Auchan during the festive season to stock up on festive staples of wine, champagne or even foie gras?

They do seem to have incredible offers but I'm always a bit hesitant to buy wine from those evil big supermarkets especially when the prices seem too good to be true. Example, Fitou reserve 2005, € 5 per bottle.

Any opinions?

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Yes, we have braved Auchan during the holiday season. Since we don't have a car every year and since "my" Auchan is outside the peripherique we've tended to buy there sporadically and for bulk items (diapers, paper towels, bottled water) but have bought wine, champagne and Richard and yes the prices are good and the quality not discernibly different to me.

When traveling outside Paris I find hypermarches to be convenient for buying everything from gas to wine and while I feel a twinge of guilt depriving the local butcher of my trade, I find the charcuterie, etc pretty good.

[Dave Hatfield]

Why not? They have buying power & use it. You benefit from that plus their willingness to take low margins.

One can argue the 'morality', but the economics are irresistible.

I've always found that the hypermarkets provide great value. Not always the best quality, but the best bang for the Euro to coin a phrase.

Go for it!

PS: As a joke I recently bought an 83 centime bottle of Corbiers at LeClerc. I gave a glass of it to our friend Rob & to my wife. Guess what? It was blinking marvellous for that price. We were gob smacked to coin another phrase.

[Sea Urchin Ragout]

Fair enough Dave. Btw I'm not knocking Auchan, just looking for some opinions on their wares. One thing that slightly worried me is the current "buy 5 get 1 free" Bordeaux by Pierre Chanau....which is an anagram for....Auchan. But maybe I'm just far too paranoid

From experience, I can say that the champagne I've bought the last few years between Xmas and New Year has been excellent.

Why not? They have buying power & use it. You benefit from that plus their willingness to take low margins.

One can argue the 'morality', but the economics are irresistible.

I've always found that the hypermarkets provide great value. Not always the best quality, but the best bang for the Euro to coin a phrase.

Go for it!

PS: As a joke I recently bought an 83 centime bottle of Corbiers at LeClerc.  I gave a glass of it to our friend Rob & to my wife. Guess what? It was blinking marvellous for that price. We were gob smacked to coin another phrase.

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[Dave Hatfield]

Fair enough Dave. Btw I'm not knocking Auchan, just looking for some opinions on their wares. One thing that slightly worried me is the current "buy 5 get 1 free" Bordeaux by Pierre Chanau....which is an anagram for....Auchan. But maybe I'm just far too paranoid 

Maybe not. Look at this link.

Or this one.

Still, the proof is in the tasting.

Sorry, I misconstrued your attitude towards Auchan.

Happy Holidays

[cigalechanta]

I agree with John, we use it for so many things including luggage and a good collection of PASTIS!!

[John Talbott]

I agree with John, we use it for so many things including luggage and a good collection of PASTIS!!

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The one thing I avoid though is the industrially made and packaged baguettes.

[AlexBernardo]

While it would never occur to me to visit one around Paris, I've bought stuff, including wine, at the Auchan just outside Avignon and I though I got some good deals. I think you just have to be very selective and have some good knowledge of what you're buying, more so than in a specialty wine store where you can get knowledgeable advise.

[Ptipois]

I wouldn't hesitate to buy wines in supermarkets like Auchan and of course there's nothing wrong with a low price. Those companies (with their buying power, as Dave says rightly) know where to get their margins from and if they decide to sell their Fitou with hardly any profit, well so much the better, and they'll compensate with something else. Price means nothing, the label says it all. If it is dirt cheap but a genuine Fitou, with the AOC, well that's just what it seems: good Fitou at a low price. No further complications.

Supermarkets generally take low margins on wines, the storing conditions are not always perfect but the turnover is fast, a condition that is made easier by the low margins...

But the more interesting points are that these companies generally are counselled by very good sommeliers and wine experts. You can have genuine bargains and sometimes real good bottles. Look for the foires aux vins, particularly.

I'd avoid Carrefour, but feel free to browse through Auchan, Champion, Leclerc. In the Paris region, I particularly like Champion and Monoprix. Franprix — which is pretty low-quality for many other things — does have a "tradition" of interesting wines; it does sometimes carry château-crémade, the only available palette apart from the famous château-simone.

Just make sure you don't buy any baguette, there, but French supermarkets are interesting to shop at, especially in the provinces, where Champion is famous for the quality of the local food distribution. In Brittany, for instance, it carries butter that makes Bordier taste boring.

[paulbrussel]

There is no problem at all buying wines at Auchan imho. Of course there offer is different from the two Foires aux vins in September and Spring, but still you have a good choice of wines there. Even the own Auchan wines (Pierre Chanau) can be good; mostly they offer good quality for the price. But their choice is bigger than that and you will certainly find good wines all year around.

[pierre45]

Monoprix is very good ,specially if you know what you're doing.

Also i have been quite succesful at carrefour and at other superstores.The key is to be selective.

[Felice]

Does anyone here brave Auchan during the festive season to stock up on festive staples of wine, champagne or even foie gras?

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Last week’s Elle featured the article “Peut on acheter son foie gras en hyper ?” (Can you buy your foie gras in a super market?) They tested 18 different foie gras and judges included Jean Francois Piège, Elisabeth Scotto, Elvira Masson and Thomas Bravo Maza. Out of the 18 only three were deemed acceptable and included

Labeyrie’s « Le grand foie gras »; Pierre de Chaumeyrac’s « Foie gras de canard entier du Sud Ouest cuit au torchon » for Leclerc , and Auchan’s « Foie Gras entier du Sud Ouest cuit au torchon»

[Margaret Pilgrim]

....Look for the foires aux vins, particularly.

Yes, indeed.

.... Champion is famous for the quality of the local food distribution. In Brittany, for instance, it carries butter that makes Bordier taste boring.

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Thanks for this excellent tip. I'd never have thought it.

[Ptipois]

Labeyrie’s « Le grand foie gras »

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I've made some foodies cringe by saying this, but for years I've hardly bought any other duck foie gras than Labeyrie. Normal quality, not even "grand", and not even the whole foie gras: the "bloc", wrapped in aluminum foil. I've tried others, but I always go back to this one. I think it is the best.

Edited December 22, 2006 by Ptipois (log)

[Felice]

Labeyrie’s « Le grand foie gras »

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I've made some foodies cringe by saying this, but for years I've hardly bought any other duck foie gras than Labeyrie. Normal quality, not even "grand", and not even the whole foie gras: the "bloc", wrapped in aluminum foil. I've tried others, but I always go back to this one. I think it is the best.

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Merci Ptipois, where can I find Labeyrie?

Along the same lines, the magazine Regal often compares products and if I remember correctly, Champion's bio olive oil and Leader Price's expresso topped their list.

[Ptipois]

Merci Ptipois, where can I find Labeyrie? 

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Labeyrie may be found at every good chain supermarket like Monoprix (but not Franprix). The brand also has a shop on rue Montmartre, near Les Halles. The foie gras I like is the bloc de foie gras de canard avec morceaux, wrapped in black foil. Only a bloc, but great taste and texture.

Don't look for it in fancy places, this morning I tried to find some at Lafayette Gourmet and they didn't have any. Instead they had lots of "Les Maîtres Occitans" foie gras, plain and peppered, more expensive than Labeyrie. I tried some, it's ok, but not as good as the cheaper one I was looking for. I suppose Labeyrie uses a good marinade and good cooking methods.

[raisab]

I tried Labeyrie today at Auchan, even though I liked it, I purchased Auchan's house brand. It was a difference f 12 euros for 350 grams, While my palate my not be as refined as someone who eats Foie Gras daily, the difference was barely disernable.

Now can someone tell me where I can buy a female Bouledog Francaise before Christmas day here in Paris? PM me if you really do know.

[John Talbott]

I tried Labeyrie today at Auchan, even though I liked it, I purchased Auchan's house brand. It was a difference f 12 euros for 350 grams, While my palate my not be as refined as someone who eats Foie Gras daily, the difference was barely disernable.

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We taste-tested the Labeyrie against the Monoprix industrial and found both wanting (IMHO, Petrossian's Galerie Lafayette stand's foie gras still rules). However, GOOD NEWS, the Labeyrie sauces for smoked salmon (with anis and lemon zest) were terrific with the Shetland Island and Scots salmon of course. The champagne we had from Lavinia at 26 E - Billecart-Salmon - was a terrific accompaniment as were the tartes from Gérard Mulot. So what did we miss - caviar and truffles? Nope.

Happy New Year folks!

[markk]

Does anyone here brave Auchan during the festive season to stock up on festive staples of wine, champagne or even foie gras?

For a number of years I used to spend the Christmas period in Alsace, and we'd always go to the Auchan on the outskirts of town (a beautful store) to stock up on goodies for the hotel room. It's only a little crowded then...

Once or twice we went on December 23 or 24, and waited 90 minutes on line each time.

I've bought cases of wine there that were part of the "theme" displays that they have at the front of the store, and once during a Southwest of France promotion, I bought a thoroughly delicious red, although I can no longer remember what it was. If I had had a bottle while I was still in France, I'd have gone back for lots more. But I've had very disappointing wines from there as well.

As far as foie gras, in Alsace there are better places to eat and get it, so I've never had any from Auchan. But I love all the foodstuffs that they sell - for sure, it's way better, or way more fun, than what we get at supermarkets in America !!