xman

can anyone tell me if there are some great wine bars in paris to samples some of the good french wines. and their locations.
thanks

rex

I have made a list of places I would like to try in Paris some time - - my travels there have been with children more often than not - - as much as I like enoteca "cruising" in Italy, I can't believe that I have never made any such circuits in Paris!

Le Baron Rouge, L'Ecluse, Fish La Boissonnerie, Jaques Melac, Mauzac and Taverne Henri IV are some names I have gotten here. Regrettably, never set foot in any of them.

Best wishes,

Rex

Dave_in_Paris

We just stopped by Jacques Melac, 42 rue Leon Frot It's great, in a down-home 11th arrondissement way, with tasty food to go with the wine. And his Domaine de Trois Filles, Cuvee Marie Helene, his own Corbieres, is very pleasant at 9 euros a bottle to go!

Flyboy

Here's another:

Fish La Boissonnerie
69, rue de Seine

(closed Mondays, I believe)

There is a wonderful selection at this intimate little wine bar/restaurant in the heart of St. Germain. The different sort of name stems from the fact that the store front was formerly a fish shop. Rather than remove or cover the "Poissonnerie" moniker above the door, it was simply edited into "Boissonerie".

It's is owned by the same gentleman, (a Miami native, as I recall), who has the nearby wine shop, La Dernière Goutte, 6, rue Bourbon le Chateau. That helps explain the excellent selection. (The wine shop has Saturday afternoon tastings, too.)

cigalechanta

http://parisvoice.com/02/may/html/fooddrink_nov2001.cfm

LoriNY

Willi's Wine Bar near the Bourse has a good selection of wines. Also, don't discount trying some wines at one of the largest wine stores in Europe - Lavinia. They have tastings on the weekends (Saturday, closed Sunday). The are located on Boulevard Madeleine, just off Place Madeleine.

elle

I've been to most of the places rex mentions and recommend them all, but here are some more:

La Tartine--in the Marais. lovely art nouveau interior, supposedly the oldest wine bar in Paris. 24 rue de Rivoli, nearest metro is Saint Paul.

The Clown Bar--you have to check this one out--the interior features fabulous tile mosaics of circus scenes. It's small and family-run; popular with performers from the Cirque d'Hiver, which is practically next door. It's on rue Amelot in the 11th.

Also, the Nicolas store at Bercy Village in the 12th has an attached wine bar with terrace where you can sample the wines sold in the store (and have a bite to eat) at ridiculously low prices--2 or 3 euros in some cases (for a good 3 oz glass).

Dave_in_Paris

Hello Elle,

You do know your Paris wine bars! We've been to the Clown Bar and the Tartine. (In fact, we have an ancient cardboard price poster from the Tartine with by the glass prices.) Too bad those prices aren't like that now! I do have a quibble with the Nicholas chain, though. After several years of purchasing from them I stopped, because I found I could rarely obtain a bottle with a vintner's name on the label (aside from a few at a high price). I think this is because their business is so large that they can't be supplied by the smaller, "boutique" and family run wineries. Not to say that their wine is'nt reliable. It just is rarely superb or surprising for under 30 euros a bottle, and there is lots of great wine out there in France for less than that. However, your suggestion of their economical Bercy terrace is a good one!

elle

&gt;&gt;<i>I think this is because their business is so large that they can't be supplied by the smaller, &quot;boutique&quot; and family run wineries. Not to say that their wine is'nt reliable. It just is rarely superb or surprising for under 30 euros a bottle, and there is lots of great wine out there in France for less than that.</i>

I think that's spot-on, Dave-in-Paris. Nicolas is so high volume that not everyone can meet their demands, plus it's such a coup for a winery to land Nicolas as a client that they concede all sorts of things, such as having their identity associated with the wine.

The wines sold there are reliable, but I prefer little surprises. We stopped by a shop called Nectar des Bourbons in the Marais last year and discovered an excellent wine from the Vendee, of all places, that we just fell in love with. It was a chenin blanc/semillion blend, fabulous with seafood, for something like 6 or 7 euros. I think the man who was working in the shop was from the Vendee and he knew the winemaker, so he took on this simple but excellent wine that you probably can't even find outside the Vendee. He was very excited about sharing it with us.

Which is why we'll be taking a detour through Maureil-sur-Lay on our next trip. . . to visit this winery that we wouldn't even know about if it hadn't been for the helpful and knowledgeable service at this small wine shop. The staff at Nicolas never seem to want to give away any secrets. . .

Dave_in_Paris

I think you'd like Crus de Decouverts on rue Paul Bert in the 11th, nearest Metro Faideherbe-Chaligny. This is a fairly new wine shop run by a fellow who used to be a middleman between vintners and restaurants. He's passionate about wine. I rarely leave there in less than 15 minutes for talking, and much of his stock is very reasonably priced.

Lutece

I adore Le Coude Fou at 12 rue Bourg Tibourg 75004. Very cozy and friendly with delicious food, too!

elle

Ooh, thanks for the tip on Crus de Decouverts. We'll definitely check it out.

Dave_in_Paris

Oops! Sorry. Crus et Decouverts.

ckenb

There is an extensive listing of wine bars (bars &agrave; vin) in Paris on this page:

http://www.75cl.info/article.10.124.1427.htm

ggnga

Hello, I do not know much about wine. I have read articles and looked at magazines but not much tasting. I went to the bookstore and looked at several wine magazines. I wrote down the names of different types, prices and recommendations last trip but never went anywhere to really sample. Mostly stuck with ordering house wine with a meal.

Could you go in a wine bar and just look to see if they have these wines on the list and order by the glass. Do you just pick by the glass or is there a wine tasting menu?

I have never been to a wine bar in Paris because I felt unsure of the proper way to order etc.

I would really like to try this on my next trip. Thanks for any advice.

Dave_in_Paris

Typically, you order by the glass. Occasionally you can order &quot;au comptoir&quot; (the menu will indicate, if so). In that case you receive an open bottle and are charged for whatever you pour from it. If you're ordering food -- from a snack to a &quot;main course&quot; depending on you and the wine bar -- don't hesitate to ask the waiter's advice on what wine would go well with the food.

rex

topping...

AGM_Cape_Cod

We went to Lavinia (on Blvd Madeleine) on our recent trip to Paris. They have three floors of wine and spirits with a small cafe on the second floor. They have wines by the glass to match their dishes. Also their wines are reasonably priced and they packed ours into a foam lined half case for 4 Euros. We carried the case onto the plane and it fit nicely into the overhead bins. If you know someone who is into Armagnac they have a huge selection of vintage Armagnac.

Travelnut

If you go to a wine bar in the evening (for 'dinner'), is it acceptable to order a single course and a glass (or 2) of wine? ie, a cheese/toast point plate, or an order of escargot..?

I've seen a couple of menus, so it doesn't seem that any more is expected of a customer.

Patrick

&quot;If you're ordering food -- from a snack to a &quot;main course&quot; depending on you and the wine bar -- don't hesitate to ask the waiter's advice on what wine would go well with the food.

Or if you really want to make them happy, order your wine then ask what food will go well with it. Nothing makes a Frenchman smile quicker than putting wine before food!