Paris is a staggering place where wine is often more common than water. Therefore, there is an unreal number of wine shops in the capital of France. In the city, they are also known as caves, and since the City of Light has so many of them to offer, how can you know which ones are the best?
We can help you with answering that question. Following is a list of top 5 wine shops in Paris, so that you know where to go on your next trip there!
1. Legrand Filles et Fils
This shop is from the 18th century and it doubles as a bar. It is hidden away in the beautiful Galerie Vivienne, in the 2nd arrondissement. The same family has run and operated the establishment for more than two centuries.
At first, this was an exotic spice shop, and the owner imported spices from all over the world. Today, however, it holds the most prestigious of French wines, but also some of the smaller producers.
This is a place where you pick a bottle from the shelves and drink it right away, in the store bar over, alongside charcuterie, cheese, and olives. The staff knows what they are doing and each of them has extensive knowledge of wine.
They are also very welcoming, and ready to offer a friendly conversation with the wine enthusiasts and customers. The shop even has courses in wine and champagne tasting.
2. La Dernière Goutte
For more than two decades, Juan Sanchez from the La Dernière Goutte wine shop, which translates to “The Last Drop”, has been forging numerous relationships with the customers and the best and high-end wine producers of the world.
He took the strong passion for wine he had and developed the shop into a famous Parisian place for the fans of the drink. The shop offers a large selection of bottles from every price range. One of the best things about it is that on weekends, the shop invites winemakers from all across France.
They then host free tastings of their products, which attract wine aficionados and amateurs alike, all looking to learn more from the experts. Sanchez and his crew also own restaurants Fish La Boissonnerie, Semilla and Cosi nearby.
Except being great businessmen and wine experts, they are also welcoming, and will help you find your favorite wine, or discovering something new.
3. Le Verre Volé
This shop has two locations in Paris. One of them is a wine cave, while the other is a restaurant and wine shop combination. Their establishments have become the go-to places to learn what is happening in the natural wine scene.
Natural wines are rawer and cult-coveted than more familiar ones like Bordeaux. It will take you some searching to locate the shops. The wine cave is on market street, rue Oberkampf, in a young and trendy area of the 11th arrondissement.
It is full of rows of natural, sparkling and still wines. Cyril Bordarier runs the wine cave, and he is always ready to help you find the perfect bottle. The restaurant and wine shop one is also tucked away nicely, and located next to the hipster Canal St. Martin area of the city.
One of the good sides of this part of town is that you can buy a bottle of natural wine and then drink it on the banks of the canal.
4. Les Caves Augé
This old shop was opened in 1850, and it is a top choice for the iconic chefs like Alain Ducasse, mostly because of their beautiful selection of natural wines.
They range from prestigious of Bordeaux and Burgundy to smaller production wines like L’Anglore from Eric Pfifferling. The interior of this shop has not changed that much since the times it opened. The walls are stacked with bottles, and only the manager and owner Marc Sibard, who is the former head sommelier of Fouquet, know enough to navigate the shelves.
Les Caves Augé hosts regular free tasting days, one of which is the small producer champagne day in February, which includes from 8 to 10 natural and small production makers of the sparkly beverage, like Jacques Selosse and Ulysse Collin.
There are also oysters available to accompany the champagne.
5. La Quincave
You might be able to recognize this shop or at least its name from the many appearances on the food critic shows by the Forbes Travel Guide Tastemaker, Anthony Bourdain. On “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” and “Anthony Bourdain: The Layover”, the shop appeared many a time.
Pit is popular with both the tourist and the locals, and it is located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. This shop is friendly and inviting, and a great place to discover the amazing world of natural wines. There is a wine bar and shop inside it, meaning that the Quincave encourages you to buy a bottle and drink it on the spot.
Maybe you can pair it with a plate of fine charcuterie and cheese while you are at it. Bottles cost from 15 euros and up, while the corkage fee is 5 euros. The staff is recognized for their friendly and caring catering to clients from around the world.
This is a must when you are visiting Paris and looking for a great new wine to taste.
