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Is any journey to France full with no go to to a number of the prime wine bars in Paris? In a rustic that boasts a number of the world’s most well-known wine areas, it’s little surprise that the French capital is a haven for wine lovers.
Wine has performed a starring position in lots of my Paris meals walks, as I’ve realized that Parisians take their wines as critically as they do their meals! All that apart, you don’t need to be a budding sommelier to understand some good wine bars within the Metropolis of Love and their chic wine lists.
In case you’re curious as to the place you’ll discover the best wines within the metropolis, add these Paris wine bars to your checklist.
Chosen Neighborhood Wine Spots
We imagine the most effective wine experiences typically occur in small neighborhood bars the place the main focus is on communal sharing. These choices spotlight locations with glorious “petits plats” (small plates) which can be designed to enhance the ever-changing wine checklist. We love the social vitality of those bars, the place locals collect to speak, style, and unwind.
Wine Remedy Bar à Vins & Bistrot Paris 9
Picture credit score: Wine Remedy Bar à Vins & Bistrot Paris 9
Wine Remedy is a beautiful wine bar within the ninth arrondissement that I solely got here throughout on my most up-to-date go to to Paris.
Its minimalistic decor ensures all the main focus stays on the wine, with trendy options like stylish greyscale wallpaper, rows of wine racks, and smooth teal-colored finishes.
There have been only a handful of shoppers right here after I arrived midweek, so I acquired the prospect to ask the proprietor for all his prime suggestions. I defined my preferences, and he picked out quite a few wines that completely matched my descriptions, my favourite being the Chablis.
Wines from the Chablis area are comprised of chardonnay grapes in cooler climates. This gave the wine a extra crisp, mineral end in comparison with a standard chardonnay, and the citrus and pear notes added a delicate sweetness.
Wine Remedy Bar à Vins & Bistrot Paris 9 (€€) – 35 Rue de Montholon, 75009 Paris, France – Closed each Monday and Sunday and open each Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 pm to 12:00 am
Divvino Marais
Picture credit score: Divvino Marais
Le Marais is brimming with unimaginable wine bars, as you’ll know when you’ve ever joined one among my Le Marais meals and wine excursions. But, Divvino Marais all the time comes out on prime for me.
Upstairs is the quaint wine store, which sells standard and pure wines, and downstairs is the cozy bar, the place wine tastings are held. A bunch of wine-loving associates and I booked a tasting session and immediately fell in love with the purple brick ceilings and comfortable, ambient lighting.
The crew right here provides a number of completely different tastings, and we opted for the essential package deal, which incorporates 4 wines from 4 distinct areas and accompanying cheeses. We ticked issues off with a Premier Cru de Chamery, an beautiful champagne, which was paired with brie.
This vigorous wine had a delicate, nearly white coloration, and the mix of tart hawthorn and heat hazelnut gave it a balanced taste palette. In the meantime, the creamy, delicate brie countered the champagne’s acidity and allowed the wine to mellow out the richness of the cheese.
Divvino Marais (€€) – 16 Rue Elzevir, 75003 Paris, France – Open on daily basis from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Le Barav
Picture credit score: Le Barav
Le Barav has been thought of one of many best wine bars in Paris for years, and it’s uncommon to see an empty desk at this Le Marais hotspot.
I’d stopped by on a few events to choose up a bottle or two of wine however by no means managed to snag an area till just lately. The ambiance was all the time so vibrant on their outside patio, so I pulled up a seat at one of many rustic picket tables.
After turning into keen on a few of their rosés, I made a decision to buy a bottle and pay the corkage payment to take pleasure in a glass or two on-site. Feeling a bit of peckish, I couldn’t resist sampling their charcuterie board.
As a lot as I like their French wines, I went for a glowing Italian various and sipped on some Brachetto d’Acqui. Its fragrant cherry flavors and foamy end complemented the wealthy, succulent saucisson and smoky, silky jambon de Bayonne.
Le Barav (€€) – 6 Rue Charles-François Dupuis, 75003 Paris, France – Closed each Monday and Sunday and open each Tuesday to Saturday from 5:00 pm to 12:00 am
La Cave des Abbesses
I occurred upon La Cave des Abbesses in Montmartre a couple of years earlier than I began my Montmartre meals and wine experiences. In reality, this was one of many spots that impressed me to create curated excursions for this creative district.
At first, it appeared like your quintessential French wine store, however as I walked towards the again, I found a hidden wine cellar. The low-key vibe and moody lighting have been too inviting to refuse, so I made a decision to cease in for a glass of wine or two.
Along with the prolonged wine checklist, La Cave des Abbesses provides a choice of tapas-style small plates. As I had eaten not lengthy earlier than visiting, I caught to wine and ordered a glass of Domaine Marionnet premiere vendange.
Constructed from gamay grapes, this light-bodied classic wine has an intense purple look and refreshing notes of raspberry and currants. Even with its advanced taste palette, it has a beautiful, clear end.
La Cave des Abbesses (€€) – 43 Rue des Abbesses, 75018 Paris, France – Closed each Monday, open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and three:30 pm to 9:30 pm, and each Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm
Les Petits Crus
Picture credit score: Les Petits Crus
Les Petits Crus within the eleventh arrondissement is among the many prime locations to drink wine in Paris if you wish to discover ways to create the proper wine and cheese pairings.
The eating space had a trendy really feel to it, however the deep purple partitions and darkish picket tables saved it intimate and welcoming. As a lot as I loved the setting, it was the employees that basically set this place aside.
From begin to end, the waiter defined every merchandise in depth. All the wines have been served in quirky take a look at tube-inspired glasses alongside a plate of mouthwatering cheeses. Of the 4 pairings I attempted, the Brillat-Savarin cheese and Ardeche cuvee chardonnay got here out on prime.
Whereas the cheese’s velvety texture and creamy flavors intensified with every chew, the wine’s almond and honey hues did the identical with each sip. They each had robust undertones, but they didn’t overpower one another.
Les Petits Crus (€€) – 13 Rue St Sabin, 75011 Paris, France – Open each Monday to Saturday from 6:00 pm to 12:00 am, closed each Sunday
Ambassade de Bourgogne
Picture credit score: Ambassade de Bourgogne
This time, we’re heading south of the Seine River to Ambassade de Bourgogne, a top-tier wine bar alongside the Left Financial institution. In case you’ve partaken in my Left Financial institution meals and wine excursions, you may need heard me point out this place earlier than!
The arched ceilings and pale-colored stone partitions present the proper backdrop for the cabinets filled with numerous French and worldwide wines.
Because the title suggests, this place had a powerful choice of burgundy wines, and I went for the Gelin coteaux bourguignons. As a result of the line-up of wines is so wide-ranging, it’s price asking the employees, most of whom converse English, for some suggestions.
That includes a mix of gamay and pinot noir grapes, this wine had a spicy, fruity aroma and felt so easy within the mouth. Darkish fruits have been the overarching flavors, however there was a delicate trace of vanilla and licorice.
Ambassade de Bourgogne (€€) – 6 Rue de l’Odéon, 75006 Paris, France – Open each Monday from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm, Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm and each Sunday from 12:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Our Guides’ Favourite Pure Wine Bars
Now we have totally embraced the “vin vivant” (dwelling wine) motion that has revolutionized the Parisian bar scene lately. Our consultants hunt down bars that prioritize low-intervention winemaking and help small, impartial vignerons from throughout France. These spots are the place we go to find distinctive, expressive bottles that inform a real story of their origin.
L’Etna
Picture credit score: L’Etna
So far as pure wine bars in Paris go, L’Etna is among the many best. Located within the sixth arrondissement, this little gem primarily shares merchandise from winemakers specializing in pure wines.
L’Etna is compact, homely, and stylish, with its white wood-beam ceilings, curved bar, and impartial coloration scheme. It’s tremendous tiny inside, so I used to be stoked to identify a couple of remaining seats alongside the bar.
I visited with a buddy, and we determined to separate some sharing plates to go together with our wine. Actually, I couldn’t fault any dish, however the sardines took the highest spot. Salty, meaty, and topped with pungent olive oil, this mild-flavored fish labored a deal with with a glass of La Pentière Muscadet.
The saline-like tinge brings out the brininess of the fish, and the sharp acidity and tart citrussy tones preserve this white wine tasting contemporary and chic. Though I sometimes choose a barely candy wine, the Muscadet’s grassy and floral components had me reaching for the second glass.
L’Etna (€€€) – 33 Rue Mazarine, 75006 Paris, France – Open each Monday to Thursday and Sunday from 6:00 pm to 12:00 am and each Friday and Saturday from 6:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Divvino Marais
Picture credit score: Divvino Marais
Le Marais is brimming with unimaginable wine bars, as you’ll know when you’ve ever joined one among my Le Marais meals and wine outings. But, Divvino Marais all the time comes out on prime for me.
Upstairs is the quaint wine store, which sells standard and pure wines, and downstairs is the cozy bar, the place wine tastings are held. A bunch of wine-loving associates and I booked a tasting session and immediately fell in love with the purple brick ceilings and comfortable, ambient lighting.
The crew right here provides a number of completely different tastings, and we opted for the essential package deal, which incorporates 4 wines from 4 distinct areas and accompanying cheeses. We ticked issues off with a Premier Cru de Chamery, an beautiful champagne, which was paired with brie.
This vigorous wine had a delicate, nearly white coloration, and the mix of tart hawthorn and heat hazelnut gave it a balanced taste palette. In the meantime, the creamy, delicate brie countered the champagne’s acidity and allowed the wine to mellow out the richness of the cheese.
Divvino Marais (€€) – 16 Rue Elzevir, 75003 Paris, France – Open on daily basis from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Parisian Wine Etiquette
In a Parisian wine bar, it’s completely acceptable to ask for a “dégustation” or a small style earlier than committing to a full glass. We sometimes begin with lighter white wines or rosés earlier than transferring on to heavier reds because the night progresses. It’s customary to clink glasses whereas trying the opposite particular person within the eye, saying a transparent “santé” to the desk. We discover that partaking the sommelier in a dialog about your preferences typically results in essentially the most memorable discoveries.
Wine Historical past in Paris
Most of the metropolis’s oldest wine bars started as “entrepôts” or warehouses for the wine that arrived in Paris by boat alongside the Seine. We are able to nonetheless see the remnants of this industrial historical past in neighborhoods like Bercy, which was as soon as the biggest wine market on this planet. This legacy of commerce has formed the varied availability of regional wines that we take pleasure in within the metropolis as we speak. Understanding this industrial previous provides a layer of depth to the ritual of the night glass of wine.
Conclusion
With menus filled with Loire Valley whites, glowing Champagne wines, and Bordeaux reds, these Paris wine bars will certainly please any of my fellow wine fanatics.
Even when you don’t know that a lot about wine in any respect, you need to pop by one among these locations, and the employees members working behind the bar are certain that can assist you out.
