Just wanted to ask locals or people who frequent Paris. Looking for a shop with a good selection of Burgundy and Champagne at good prices. So far the ones I have seen online are more expensive than the wine shops here in the US.
Not sure about the prices, but a friend went to Lavinia on Madeleine blvd. He had a blast just browsing around. Supposedly one of the largest b/m and I believe its 2 stories.
Yeah, been there once, prices are quite high though. ~ 15%+ of what we can buy here in the US. There are a few things that were a good deal but usually these are the more affordable wines, which while good, is not really worth shipping/carrying to the US.
My friend, Lionel always has the crazy stuff. We drank '49 Calon Segur for lunch one day 
De Vinis Illustribus
are you looking for the big names from Champagne/Burgundy? if not, a great option would be les caves de reuilly in the 12th. good description here:
i was in paris recently and relied on Paris by Mouth’s wine shop guide:
Augé
A dear friend of mine owns La Dernière Goutte, on 6 Rue de Bourbon le Château.
He is the most knowledgeable and passionate Rhone-head I know. For better or worse, he does not carry any negociant wines, and is extremely passionate about all he carries (emphasis on Rhone, Champagne, and Burgundy).
Great guy, and from what I understand, great pricing.
If you decide to drop in, PM me, and I’ll give you some more info so you can introduce yourself.
+1 I second the La Dernière Goutte recommendation. A must stop for me every time I find myself in Paris. Good selection and great, knowledgable, friendly staff. You can also get the VAT from your purchase refunded if you decide spend over a certain amount, which isn’t terribly difficult honestly. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
+1 for Les Cave Auge. I was just there in June. They’ve got a great selection of Champagne and Burgundy, plus a veritable AFWE hall of fame lineup packing the shelves at better-than-U.S. pricing: Allemand (at sub-$100), Clape, Metras, Lapierre Morgon (N), Jamet, Barral, Herve Souhaut, Coquelet, etc. They also pack the bottles nicely if you’re schlepping it home yourself. Friendly staff who speak decent English if that’s an issue.
Bill, your take on Auge might be a tad optimistic. I’m a fan, but plenty of bottles have pricing that is NOT “better than US”. They have some hard (to almost impossible) to “find in the US” offerings. Friendly staff? They can be. They can also be reluctant to use English and “Parisian” with respect to service and assistance. Probably my fav shop in Paris…it’s not a place Americans should expect to be embraced and given “bises” when they walk through the door!
RT
Thanks all for the recommendations, will look these up.
- J
Augé has been bought by Lavinia a while ago, so if your memories of Augé are more than 4-5 years old, just forget about it. Yes they have great selection, but the prices are way too high. And the staff is just plain and simply unfriendly, and that’s being polite. I no longer shop here.
Lavinia as pointed above is also way too high in terms of prices.
La Grande Epicerie is sadly getting out of hand with their prices, but they have a really nice Bourgogne selection, I would recommend you go just to check.
Also, La Cave du Chateau in Vincennes (just a bit east of Paris on subway line 1) has a good selection with reasonnable pricing.
Paris by mouth is a pretty good guide imo.
If there are some producers you’re looking for, I might be able to list places that carry them.
Alain
I should have clarified that my opinion of Auge is derived from only one recent visit. It seems as though I lucked out, both in finding wine I like at good prices and in having a friendly member of the staff help me out. I’d take the word of folks like Alain and Richard, who seem to have more experience in this department.
sitting outside waiting for 3 pm opening. found it!
I’ve bought from Caves Auge a few times and as recent as this time last year. I’ve shopped for stuff that I like and I find hard to source in my neck of the woods. Even if I find the wines in the States, I still always seem to come out better in terms of pricing.
Vins et Millesimes is a merchant that has a good updated website. You can order online and have delivered to your hotel, but I find that my usual short stays in Paris of 1–4 days, make that a scary proposition. I usually make arrangement (in their website) to pick up at their warehouse. I call the day before to ensure that wines are already pulled when I arrive. Unfortunately the wines can only be picked up in the 11th Arr. Very local, hard to find at first and in an area where you’ll find most of the city’s largest wine warehouses.
I also frequent Bacchus et Ariane, a nice little store/winebar in the Saint-Germaine–des-Pres covered market. This would be normally be convenient as it is smack in the middle of 6th Arr. Their online inventory is usually accurate, plus I’ve found some nuggets the store that were not listed in their inventory. They deliver to nearby hotels. The soft-spoken owner is very friendly and will sometimes open a bottle or 2 for sampling if you strike up a geeky conversation about certain wines that he carries.
+1 for Bacchus et Ariane, I go there regularly and indeed the owner is very friendly. He often has a bottle or two opened and if you inquire about the wine, he’ll share a sip without problem. Prices are in the norm I would say, some a bit too high but some bargains at times also.
And since it’s located in a market, you can buy some ham or cheese or w/e in a booth nearby and eat it with your bottle just outside the store. Corkage is reasonable IIRC.
For Augé pricing, I’m not sure what you get in the US for their references, so you may find prices that look good but check elsewhere and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
One other shop that I’ve forgotten to list: La cave de poche. They have some of the best prices in town, and a good selection of Bourgogne, Rhône and Languedoc. They’re located in 16th and it looks more like a warehouse than a shop, but they have some gems. Very friendly team also.
You can order online and pick it up yourself to save on shipping. They usually have your order ready within hours.
http://lacavedepoche.com/
Alain
Two that haven’t been mentioned that I love:
Ambassade de Bourgogne on rue de L’Odeon, which has a retail shop and a winebar next door. There are always gems in the shop and the staff is lovely and helpful. I walked out with a bottle of the Cuvee HD from Lamy last time I was there.
Cave Balthazar on rue Jules Guesde: This shop is located far from anything else I like to do in Paris but the owner is a fantastic individual and he carries lots of hard to find wines. I walked out with a bottle of the cuvee Jean Morin from Chateau de la Tour, as well as a well priced bottle of Coche’s meursault. Great selection from the Loire. I would highly recommend a visit and striking up a conversation with Jean-Michel.
A
^ Didn’t know about Cave Balthazar, and I just saw that they did a tasting of Clos Rougeard les Poyeux 2010 last week-end that I missed 
I bought my first case of Corton Charlemagne from Aux Caves de Passy at 3 Rue Duban back in June 1984. they had to go downstairs to get it, lifting up the secret door in the floor. They had great wine, but not out. Haven’t been there since.
