Oh what fun. After leading a market walk Saturday morning, I jumped on the metro with a friend and headed to the eight arrondissement, where our friend Sharon was waiting on a sunny corner in a pair of sunny yellow tights. It was a quintessential fall day, warm in the sun and chilly in the shade, a blustery wind blowing big clouds across the bright blue sky and fallen leaves across the streets.
The occasion was a dégustation at Caves Augé, one of the oldest wine shops in Paris. A table was set up in front of the shop, and a happy group was already there, swirling, sipping, smelling, and spitting. There were 20 wines (vingt vins fins – I like this rhyme) and we tried every single one of them with Sharon as our intrepid guide.
Augé hosts these tastings about once a month, Sharon says, and very often the winemakers themselves are there pouring. The tastings are always outside, and once you step into the store it’s obvious why: Wine is stacked everywhere, from floor to ceiling, and there is barely room to navigate the space.
Standouts were a Champagne from Gimonnet, a 2007 Saint Romain blanc from Chassorney, and a 2007 Côte Rôtie from Domaine Jean Michel Stephan. We finished with a sweet Champagne from Jacques Selosse, called “Exquise”, but Sharon felt that this wine, though lovely, was not indicative of the Selosse style.
With that proclamation, we made our purchases and headed to Legrand Filles et Fils, a venerable wine shop and épicerie located in the the Galerie Vivienne which has an excellent comptoir where one can order a glass and a plate of charcuterie, or drink a bottle off the shelf.
We ordered the planche à partager, a board piled with thinly sliced saucisson, rabbit terrine from Hardouin, good bread (some toasted!) and salty butter. With a coupe of Selosse VO, this was perhaps the most elegant afternoon snack I’ve ever had in my life.
I told a friend about it and he cheekily replied, “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
He’s right: Next time we’ll splurge for a bottle.
Les Caves Augé, 116 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris, +33 (0)1 45 22 16 97 (Call for information about upcoming dégustations)
Legrand Filles et Fils 1 Rue de la Banque (or enter through the Galerie Vivienne), 75002 Paris, +33 (0)1 42 60 07 12 website
Augé is my “local” wine store so I am there often. The staff are very knowledgeable and patient and will help you find just the right wine for the occasion, whether dinner at home or to bring to a friend’s.
I have not really shopped for wine at Legrand, but it truly is a wonderful lunch place, and the Galerie Vivienne is one of the nicest covered galleries in Paris.
Bobby Jay: I agree about Legrand and lunch. If it were my “local” I would be in trouble.
my God, i believed you had been going to chip in with some decisive insght in the end there, not depart it
with ‘we leave it to you to decide’.