Caves Auge, the oldest wine shop in Paris
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Caves Augé
Credited with being the second oldest wine shop in Paris, Caves Augé is on Boulevard Hausmann. It’s not sandwiched between the big department stores on this famous street, but instead it is down the boulevard, around the traffic circle and on the less touristy, more neighborhoody, end of the grand boulevard.
The store is known for stocking many “natural” wines, particularly from the Loire, as well as older vintages from Bordeaux and beyond. Many of the producers represented are not exported to the US, which makes it a rewarding exploration for the visiting American wine geek. Tons of boutique bottlings of armagnac, cognac, sherry, vodka and other spirits cluster in one corner. Even though wine treasures abound in the small shop, not everything is beyond the reach of the budgets of mere mortals as there are many interesting wines available under $20.
But the wines may be beyond the physical reach of customers. The small shop is packed with excellent French wines. And I mean packed. The display tables are laden with their bounty and on the walls, wines are shoved into bins. I dared remove a wine from Provence to inspect the label and Marc, the store manager, barked at me in French from across the store “I’d prefer if you looked with your eyes and not with your hands.” Ah, a customer service flashback to 1850.
One reason to go to Caves Augé is when you don’t actually have to be in the cramped store (being scolded). During the spring and the fall, the store recruits many producers to come and pour their wines for customers. According to those who have been, it is a great event, casually sipping on the grand boulevard on a weekend afternoon, with some of the most interesting independent wine makers in France. Be sure to check with the store to see if your visit coincides with one of these days.
Caves Augé
116, Boulevard Hausmann, Paris 75008
Tel: 01.45.22.16.97
Open 9 AM – 7:30 PM. Closed Sunday and Monday mornings.
Manager: Marc Sibard
tags: wine | Paris wine shops | France travel
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On July 13th, 2007 at 12:50 pm ,Tim wrote:
i was in Paris recently and was lucky enough to visit Caves Augé with a friend. we met with Marc Sibard, the manager who invited us to join him sitting out on the pavement. Here we discussed the world of wine whilst he enticed us with a superb champagne from a little known house followed by a fine Burgundian Pinot Noir from Vosne Romanée in the Cote de Nuits area. it was a ‘fresh’, unfiltered wine that he allowed to breath in a very interesting teapot shaped decanter that apparently aids agitation and speeds up the oxygination like no other decanter. The result was a marvellous mouthfilling wine that was remarkably complex for it’s age. After a delightful and informative hour on the sidewalk, Marc selected several bottles of wine for me to take back to Hong Kong. I have only had the time to drink one since returning. It was a chardonnay from Auxey-Duresses, a tiny appelation in the Cote de Beaune area of Burgundy. This wine was absolutely delicious and every bit as good as any of the superb wines from neighbouring Meursalt. I look forward to savouring the other exciting wines Marc has selected for me, all from small wine makers that you will most probably not find anywhere else outside of their own domain other than at Augé. Marc also has an amazing selection of Brandies, Armagnacs and Calvados. Visit Augé and you will come away informed, inspired and the happy new owner of some of the most exciting wines from France and beyond. tim evill Hong kong
On August 3rd, 2007 at 9:14 am ,Dr Vino’s wine blog » Blog Archive » Seven tips for great eating and drinking in Paris wrote:
[...] storage area in the basement. Great spirits selection, particularly Armagnac. Read more from my visit last year. And be sure to check out their blowout tastings with producers in the spring and fall. 116, [...]
On September 23rd, 2007 at 9:58 pm ,Dr Vino’s wine blog » Blog Archive » Sherry-Lehmann: the best new wine store that you don’t need to visit wrote:
[...] talking just the Petrus–even the $9.99 pinot grigio is clamped to the shelf. Wow, shades of Paris, not BottleRocket! I guess you can’t be too careful at 59th and [...]
On March 2nd, 2008 at 5:29 pm ,Dr Vino’s wine blog » Blog Archive » Paris/France wine roundup wrote:
[...] Derniere Goutte, Paris Lavinia, French for wine convenience Bernard Magrez, the brand, the boutique Caves Auge, the oldest wine shop in Paris French [...]