PARIS CONNECTION
Stefania Genisio raises a glass to the natural and the artisanal in the wine-bar capital of the world.
Idon’t remember why I moved to Paris, but when I return, it’s for the wine. I grew up in Piedmont, in northern Italy, where drinking wine is very much part of everyday life.
When I was 11, I travelled to London with my sommelier aunt and her husband, a chef. They took me to lunch at Simpson’s in the Strand, a bastion of British culinary tradition, and though
I was too young to order wine, I was exhilarated by the experience of eating in such a storied restaurant.
Years later, after an attempt to break into fashion styling, I found my interest in wine growing. Learning about the regions, their history and the secrets of the grape was suddenly more interesting than assisting photographers in the freezing streets of Shoreditch.
Then I found myself in Paris, where eating out was more affordable and the opportunities to learn about wine seemed endless. I worked as a sommelier at Bones and Heimat (both closed now, and sorely missed), where wine wasn’t so much an everyday thing as the thing we discussed and thought about all day. Sometimes we’d even drink some.
I’m often asked by friends where to drink wine in Paris. It’s not hard to drink well here, but if your taste runs to the natural, the artisanal, the unusual and the experimental, as mine does, then I have plenty of suggestions to get you started on your own Parisian wine journey.
I haven’t listed all the places I love to drink wine here. Le Verre Volé, for instance, Jones, Red House, Le Chateaubriand and Septime remain close to my heart and I recommend them unconditionally. With an eye to maximum variety and stimulation, however, this is my current favourite line-up of drinking venues.
Aux Deux Amis
Each night before the doors open, people line up in the hope of finding a seat at the counter or at one of a handful tables at this tiny bar in the 11th. Aux Deux Amis is loud and joyful with its ’70s décor, neon lighting and mirrored wall behind the bar, the lively crowd spilling out onto the street. The menu offers plenty of tapas, from jamón Ibérico to grilled sardines and potato tortilla, and the wine list is playful and exciting. Owner David Loyola sources his wines directly from producers, which means more affordable bottles and a better chance of discovering emerging winemakers. Where else would you find a Marie et Vincent Tricot for less than $50? 45 rue Oberkampf, 75011, +33 1 58 30 38 13
La Buvette
A buvette is a small venue that acts as both bottle shop and bar. But this definition doesn’t do justice to Camille Fourmont’s venture in the 11th. La Buvette serves inspired apéro-sized dishes such as white beans topped with bergamot zest, smoked tuna with cédrat, burrata sprinkled with powdered mandarin skin, and simple cheese and charcuterie. The wine list is focused tightly on low-intervention methods of production, and changes so often that Fourmont says “it’s hard to mention something more than something else” when asked which wines to look for now. La Buvette has a regular program of wine tastings and pop-ups – follow the bar on Instagram for the latest. When the weather warms, a hip and arty crowd inhabits the footpath at the front. 67 rue Saint Maur, 75011, +33 9 83 56 94 11, instagram.com/la.buvette.paris
Le Mary Celeste
Five years after opening, this oyster bar is as dynamic a player on the international cocktail scene as ever. Located between Place de la République and the heart of the Marais, Le Mary Celeste is the place to gather after work to decompress and observe how the local cool-crowd socialises. The hexagonal counter places the bartenders at the centre of the scene. Josh Fontaine, one of the bar’s founders, travels across France to source natural wines for a list that offers both established and lesser-known labels. 1 rue Commines, 75003,
+33 9 80 72 98 83, quixotic-projects.com/venue/mary-celeste
Le Grand Bain
Opened early last year by British chef Edward DellingWilliams (previously of Au Passage), Le Grand Bain has dark, sleek interiors and soft lighting, which draw photographers and creative directors during fashion weeks, and party-goers and bon vivants year round. Come with a small group of friends to enjoy fresh seafood, the chickpea panisse and the large selection of mostly French wines. This is the place for reasonably priced gems from the Loire Valley, such as the vins-deFrance (VDFs, if you will – wines that don’t conform to traditional appellations) of Alexandre Bain and Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme. 14 rue Dénoyez, 75020, + 33 (0) 9 83 02 72 02, legrandbainparis.com
In Paris, wine wasn’t so much an everyday thing as the thing we discussed all day.
Le Baratin
Raquel Carena opened Le Baratin 30 years ago in Belleville, a former working-class district now better known for its independent bookstores, art studios and markets. Back then, selling wines other than Bordeaux crus and Burgundies was considered a bolder move than it is today, but that pioneering spirit lives on in Le Baratin’s cellar; the bistro can be found on the map of every natural-wine enthusiast hoping to find rare bottles and unicorn labels. There’s no wine list, and it helps to visit in the company of a regular customer, if you’re lucky enough to have one in your circle of friends. 3 rue Jouye-Rouve, 75020, +33 1 43 49 39 70
Martin – Boire Et Manger
Martin is one of those places where plans for a quick snack and a glass of wine escalate with the appearance of familiar faces, and suddenly it turns into an all-night eating and drinking adventure.
Gareth Eoin Storey has done time in London cooking under Fergus Henderson, which manifests here in a nose-to-tail approach to cooking and dishes such as sausage-stuffed pig’s trotter, rabbit terrine and deep-fried tripe. The cellar has many affordable options and the opportunity to find apéro-friendly wines from regions such as Languedoc-Roussillon and the Rhône. 24 blvd du Temple, 75011, +33 1 43 57 82 37, bar-martin.fr
Comice
Trust in the refined taste of co-owner Etheliya Hananova. The Canadian sommelier has more than two decades of experience, and her vision for what should and should not be included on the exhaustive wine list is unflinching. Comice’s selection includes elegant wines produced by artisanal techniques, such as the Chablis from Château de Béru and Fanny Sabre’s Meursault. Hananova’s passion is so contagious that listening to her talk about wine is a pleasure in itself. 31 avenue de Versailles, 75016, +33 1 42 15 55 70, comice.paris
Vivant
When restaurateur Pierre Jancou opened the doors in 2012, Vivant Cave was an instant hit. Under different ownership now and having dropped the “cave” from its title, this kitchen counter and cellar remains an institution. The menu by chef Pierre Touitou (formerly of Gagnaire, Miznon and Aux Deux Amis) changes daily and the extensive by-the-glass wine list keeps regulars coming back meal after meal. The crowd here tends to be effortlessly sexy and maddeningly branché (Parisian slang for “cool and connected”). 43 rue des Petites Écuries, 75010, +33 1 42 46 43 55, vivantparis.com
Deck & Donohue
This brewery on the outskirts of Paris doesn’t pour wine but Deck & Donohue beers are the first choice of many a Parisian sommelier and a hit at wine bars including Septime’s. Thomas Deck and Mike Donohue left their jobs in 2013 to pursue micro-brewing full-time and their range includes special editions such as a lager created for the Quixotic group (Candelaria, Le Mary Celeste and Les Grands Verres) and the Saison de Chassignolles, crafted especially for the restaurant at Auberge de Chassignolles in the Auvergne, a region to which wine folk flock in summer for festivals and work. 71 rue de la Fraternité, 93100, +33 9 67 31 15 96, deck-donohue.com ●