You thought anywhere you go in Paris you’d have a transcendent wine experience. Non. Non. But fear not. Just follow our guide below and prepare to enjoy vino time as it should be.
A Lot of Wine
Just like its name suggests, this place offers a lot of wine; bomb AF Natural and Biodynamic wines to be more precise. Jean-Noel, Baptiste, and Nelly have mercilessly curated a list of natural and biodynamic wines that never fail to surprise. So don’t fear Natural wines — they are good now… If you find yourself near Notre Dame, treat yourself to an adventure, mouth-first, and burn through their wine list glass-by-glass on a lazy (yet respectably late…) afternoon. Be sure to let them select some charcuterie to pair so you don’t have to get up and find somewhere else to eat when dinnertime happens. Then, be happy to know that A Lot of Wine doubles as a wine shop (as do many wine bars in Paris) so whatever you drink there, you can bring home to drink some more — we don’t judge. This is how it usually goes: you’ll walk into it thinking you’re just going for another one of those Parisian apéritifs, which then becomes charcuterie-based dinner with cheeks aglow and before you know it you’ve made new friends (the latter being a not-often-Parisian experience…)
ADDRESS: 54 Rue de l’Hôtel de ville (4th arr.)
MÉTRO: Pont Marie (Cité des Arts) (line 7)
HOURS: (Closed on Monday)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Le Marais
NUMBER: 06 13 25 82 78
INSTAGRAM: @lotofwine_paris
Cave Vino Sapiens
Here’s the best way to describe it: home, but make it wine. It’s a cosy shop that not only serves up new wine almost every time, but you’ll end up staying longer on account of their cheese and charcuterie boards. The best thing you can do here is order a chardonnay (they buy limited quantities so you’re bound to try something new every time you go there) and get a croque monsieur with truffle to share as an apéritif. Oh, and the Eiffel Tower is just around the corner.
ADDRESS: 145 Rue Saint-Dominique (7th arr.)
MÉTRO: Ecole Militaire (line 8)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Eiffel Tower
NUMBER: 06 31 02 46 16
INSTAGRAM: @cavevinosapiens
Caviste Vinosfera
Let’s face it; wine shops are great for drinking wine. However, they’re also there for the purpose of educating people who want to know more about the wine (imagine swirling your glass with your nose halfway down the glass). The owners here do just that. The sommeliers here know their stuff and they don’t shy away from being entertaining you, either. Don’t forget to order a cheese board when you do your wine tasting. Because in France, drinking wine without eating something on the side is just gauche.
ADDRESS: 11 Rue François Miron (4th arr.)
MÉTRO: Pont Marie (Cité des Arts) (line 7)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Le Marais
NUMBER: 01 44 93 46 45
INSTAGRAM: @caviste_vinosfera
Divvino Marais
If you want to go all out, this wine shop offers a private dinner and wine tasting (an ideal last night in Paris). The sommelier, Marina Giuberti, is known to cater to all types of people, from beginners to experts. If you’re staying in Paris a little longer, they also offer wine classes, a perfect souvenir to take back home (we all need that friend that can tell us what the best wine is).
ADDRESS: 16 Rue Elzevir (3rd arr.)
MÉTRO: Saint-Paul (Le Marais) (line 1)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Le Marais
NUMBER: 09 83 74 25 04
INSTAGRAM: @divvinoparis
Caves leGrand
If you’re not into the typical wine shops (where all they serve is some cheese and charcuterie with the occasional extra snack), this shop has a built-in restaurant with a very creative chef. Examples of his roster include a celery root mille-feuille to accompany a classic french glass of wine. It’s located in the Galeries Vivienne, walking distance from the Louvre. While the menu may not be extensive, it does save you from having to pore over an endless list of wines, which will give you time to hop over to the Louvre to view the latest exhibit. If you’re not completely tipsy, that is.
ADDRESS: 1 Rue de la Banque (2nd arr.)
MÉTRO: Bourse (line 3)
HOURS: Closed Monday and Sunday
NEIGHBORHOOD: Sentier / Covered Passages / Bourse
NUMBER: 01 42 60 07 12
INSTAGRAM: @caveslegrand
