A Trip to Paris
Claire, Tom, Jude and I go to Paris to drink wonderful wine for very many happy hours.
Claire, Tom, Jude and I go to Paris to drink wonderful wine for very many happy hours.
A long, long time ago, during the height of the drains crisis, we made a promise to Claire and Tom. Along with Jude, they were really bearing the brunt of dealing with the day to day realities of regular flooding and other unpleasantness and so we said that when it was all over, we were going to go out for a very smart meal as a huge thank you. Unfortunately for all of us, that happy day was a very long time coming. Quite a few times, it loomed tantalisingly on the horizon when we seemed to be making some progress but then it would swiftly recede again. Given the endless delays and the fact that for a lot of the time, dealing with the situation remained a feature of daily life, we really wanted this to be something extraordinarily lovely. Work above and beyond the call of duty, particularly when it is rendered with great cheerfulness absolutely deserved as big a thank you as we could muster. Our mustering has however been somewhat hampered by rather limited means, the post drains crisis phase being very much on-going. Jude and I were due to go to Paris for a weekend in May and as we had bought our tickets, we decided that if Green & Blue could stump up for two more, we could probably take care of the rest. That way, the thank you would be suitably special without costing Green & Blue a small fortune we don’t have.
Claire and Tom were very pleased.
The idea was that we would leave on a morning train, arrive around lunch time and go to a wine bar specialising in organic and biodynamic wine for lunch. They would then have the option of either visiting some more wine bars or going off to explore Paris before getting the 9pm train back. A perfect vinous/city break day out.
Thursday the 8th of May was the big day and we had a fantastically smooth journey on the train. Really, if I could give up flying all together I would do it in a very small fraction of a second. Quite apart from the environmental implications there is absolutely nothing to be said for the process which is tedious, uncomfortable and utterly frustrating. The train is none of the above and you get to sit and stare out of the window, a very little indulged hobby of mine. We had bought a bottle of our favourite Bertrand Gautherot Rosé Saignée de Sorbée Extra Brut Champagne and a glass of that each was precisely right for the occasion. Thank God for my small glass actually, as I had another unpleasant phone call while on the train which was going to mean having to do some work the next day, so I think Jude and I both needed something to take the edge off reality somewhat.
We arrived on time at Gare de Nord and got through the process of buying metro tickets and getting ourselves to République without any great drama at all. Once there, we did several laps of the Place de la République while I tried, unsuccessfully, to get our bearings on the map. At first it was quite amusing and then slightly less so when blood sugar levels started to plummet so Jude took over, with considerably more success. The sun was shining and it was really warm and we were in Paris though, so nothing could be too bad. Things got considerably better when we finally found La Verre Volé (at 67 Rue de Lancry if you are in the area), in a relatively tiny room with walls lined with shelves of bottles to either drink in or take away. Everything sold here is either organic or biodynamic and we recognized a few of the wines from our own list immediately. It is quite strange actually. You would think that four people who work with wine all the time would be relatively nonplussed about walking into a room full of wine but we all got quite dizzy with excitement and probably drove the manager mad by standing up and wondering around staring at bottles, instead of sitting down out of the way. They were absolutely lovely though and did not get even slightly stony faced.
We finally decided on a bottle of NV Francois Bedel Champagne made from 81% Pinot Meunier which is still rather unusual although I am starting to hear of more producers, particularly those doing things on a very small scale and very naturally, making more of a feature of this variety. This was completely delicious – very silky in texture with great citrussy fruit and a slightly spicy edge. I hardly drink these days as I always seem to have to drive somewhere and when I don’t, I have to be quite careful as not being in the habit means I am starting to become what the Australians charmingly refer to a as a two pot screamer. I also really do not feel great the next day unless the wine really is as pure as possible. After our phone call though and given that we both hadn’t had a day off for about 4 weeks, I decided to throw all caution, and with it sobriety, to the wind. The wine was so good as well and it was such a pleasure just to relax and drink a glass of something truly delicious.
We ordered some food and when the champagne was finished, moved on to a bottle of 2004 Maison Pierre Overnoy Arbois Pupillin which was equally amazingly good. We had wanted something slightly oxidised and this was one of those extraordinary wines that has hints of nutty, oxidative spice and yet is at the same time fresh as a daisy. Hugely complex, truly every single sip was an absolute treat.When that was gone, it was already 3.30pm and while no one was on the verge of slipping quietly under the table, we were all a bit rosy cheeked from our vinous exertions. Claire and Tom decided that they didn’t want to go to see the Eiffel Tower after all, so we headed off to another recommended place. I must say, the Paris Metro when slightly pissed on organic wine is an utterly wonderous place to be. Perhaps it is just that when the sun is out and one has just drunk truly fabulous, pure wine, almost everywhere is a wonderous place to be.
L’Estaminet is tucked away in the Marché des Enfants Rouge on Rue Bretagne and is a stall selling wine with a neighbouring wine bar. As it was actually a public holiday in France – something which no doubt added enormously to the very laid back feeling of everything – the stall was shut but the bar was open and was promoting a red from Cotes de Catalanes down south. 2005 Domaine Rouaud Barbachane was 100% Grenache, organic and made by a young couple. It was also exceptionally good value for money and incredibly delicious – soft, dense, sweet fruit again with a spicy edge. I am finding that with a lot of these incredibly natural wines at the moment, the fruit is astonishingly sweet. There are elements of the flavour which taste like a bunch of very ripe grapes has merely been squeezed into a glass and I completely love this.Things were starting to get hazier at this point but in a very wonderful rose (perhaps that should be red) tinted sort of way. We moved outside eventually and were surrounded by Parisians having a day off and eating couscous. The weather was complete perfection – nicely warm without being at all sticky.
We had time for one more stop before Claire and Tom took the train back and so decided to visit La Muse Vin at 101 rue de Charonne which was not too far away. It was completely empty when we arrived at about 5.30pm but one of the owners dealt with my increasingly eccentric French (pretty unconventional at the best of times) admirably and we had soon chosen a Loire Chenin Blanc from a producer called Julien Courtois. At least I think that is what it was but things had moved from hazy to downright confusing at that point and the owner and I were having one of those conversations where I suspect neither was even remotely following what the other was getting at; but we chattered on regardless. I certainly tasted like it could have been a Loire Chenin, incredibly steely while at the same time having a fabulously delicate aspect and a completely delicious honeyed, nutty finish. By the time that bottle had finished, none of us had a care in the world and we all loved each other very, very deeply. We also wanted to move to Paris and open a Green & Blue while Claire and Tom’s children ran Green & Blue in the UK. It is worth pointing out here that Claire and Tom are not a couple and never have been, have no children or indeed any plans to procreate imminently so those particular plans had lost touch with reality entirely. Despite this, we decided that to celebrate our great good fortune at having masterminded the next phase of Green & Blue, we would have to have a final bottle of wine.
We recently started stocking a Trousseau from Arbois in Lordship Lane which is already a bit of a favourite with all of us. Biodynamic with very delicate, crisp red fruit, it is deliciously easy to drink. They were stocking a 2005 Jean Marc Brignot Trousseau which I had never heard of but we all thought that it was worth a try. It was most certainly very worth many tries and if we had had more time, I think we might have done just that. This was the bottle of the day on what had been a very, very good day. Completely different to the one we stock (not better, just different), it was full of very fresh, silky red and black fruit with what I can only really describe as freshly chopped herbs which were especially strong on the finish. This changed constantly in the glass with the fresh herbs coming and going and a perfumed leather aspect also appearing and disappearing. Planning the move to Paris took a back seat while Claire and I just sipped in reverential silence. I am not sure what Jude and Tom were doing – they went outside and smoked cigarettes with the owner, I think. At one point, Tom did disappear to have a long discussion with himself in the mirror in the bathroom where Jude briefly joined him to do the same. It seemed entirely sensible at the time and we certainly didn’t mind. More incredible wine for us.
I am really not entirely sure of how we negotiated the next phase but taxi’s miraculously appeared and off we sailed – Claire and Tom to Gare du Nord and Jude and I to our hotel. I can’t say I felt fabulous the next day but I certainly felt a million times better than I would have done if we had been drinking wines which were not organic and biodynamic. There was no nausea and no fragile, painful head, only a fuzzy, out of focus feeling which developed into something gloomier later on after Jude had spoken to our insurance company. That however is absolutely not for dwelling on here. Thank you Claire and Tom, for your amazing loyalty and very hard work and we hope you had as much fun we did. Without you and the rest of the team, we would not be even nearly what we are.
A long, long time ago, during the height of the drains crisis, we made a promise to Claire and Tom. Along with Jude, they were really bearing the brunt of dealing with the day to day realities of regular flooding and other unpleasantness and so we said that when it was all over, we were going to go out for a very smart meal as a huge thank you. Unfortunately for all of us, that happy day was a very long time coming. Quite a few times, it loomed tantalisingly on the horizon when we seemed to be making some progress but then it would swiftly recede again. Given the endless delays and the fact that for a lot of the time, dealing with the situation remained a feature of daily life, we really wanted this to be something extraordinarily lovely. Work above and beyond the call of duty, particularly when it is rendered with great cheerfulness absolutely deserved as big a thank you as we could muster. Our mustering has however been somewhat hampered by rather limited means, the post drains crisis phase being very much on-going. Jude and I were due to go to Paris for a weekend in May and as we had bought our tickets, we decided that if Green & Blue could stump up for two more, we could probably take care of the rest. That way, the thank you would be suitably special without costing Green & Blue a small fortune we don’t have.
Claire and Tom were very pleased.
The idea was that we would leave on a morning train, arrive around lunch time and go to a wine bar specialising in organic and biodynamic wine for lunch. They would then have the option of either visiting some more wine bars or going off to explore Paris before getting the 9pm train back. A perfect vinous/city break day out.
Thursday the 8th of May was the big day and we had a fantastically smooth journey on the train. Really, if I could give up flying all together I would do it in a very small fraction of a second. Quite apart from the environmental implications there is absolutely nothing to be said for the process which is tedious, uncomfortable and utterly frustrating. The train is none of the above and you get to sit and stare out of the window, a very little indulged hobby of mine. We had bought a bottle of our favourite Bertrand Gautherot Rosé Saignée de Sorbée Extra Brut Champagne and a glass of that each was precisely right for the occasion. Thank God for my small glass actually, as I had another unpleasant phone call while on the train which was going to mean having to do some work the next day, so I think Jude and I both needed something to take the edge off reality somewhat.
We arrived on time at Gare de Nord and got through the process of buying metro tickets and getting ourselves to République without any great drama at all. Once there, we did several laps of the Place de la République while I tried, unsuccessfully, to get our bearings on the map. At first it was quite amusing and then slightly less so when blood sugar levels started to plummet so Jude took over, with considerably more success. The sun was shining and it was really warm and we were in Paris though, so nothing could be too bad. Things got considerably better when we finally found La Verre Volé (at 67 Rue de Lancry if you are in the area), in a relatively tiny room with walls lined with shelves of bottles to either drink in or take away. Everything sold here is either organic or biodynamic and we recognized a few of the wines from our own list immediately. It is quite strange actually. You would think that four people who work with wine all the time would be relatively nonplussed about walking into a room full of wine but we all got quite dizzy with excitement and probably drove the manager mad by standing up and wondering around staring at bottles, instead of sitting down out of the way. They were absolutely lovely though and did not get even slightly stony faced.
We finally decided on a bottle of NV Francois Bedel Champagne made from 81% Pinot Meunier which is still rather unusual although I am starting to hear of more producers, particularly those doing things on a very small scale and very naturally, making more of a feature of this variety. This was completely delicious – very silky in texture with great citrussy fruit and a slightly spicy edge. I hardly drink these days as I always seem to have to drive somewhere and when I don’t, I have to be quite careful as not being in the habit means I am starting to become what the Australians charmingly refer to a as a two pot screamer. I also really do not feel great the next day unless the wine really is as pure as possible. After our phone call though and given that we both hadn’t had a day off for about 4 weeks, I decided to throw all caution, and with it sobriety, to the wind. The wine was so good as well and it was such a pleasure just to relax and drink a glass of something truly delicious.
We ordered some food and when the champagne was finished, moved on to a bottle of 2004 Maison Pierre Overnoy Arbois Pupillin which was equally amazingly good. We had wanted something slightly oxidised and this was one of those extraordinary wines that has hints of nutty, oxidative spice and yet is at the same time fresh as a daisy. Hugely complex, truly every single sip was an absolute treat.When that was gone, it was already 3.30pm and while no one was on the verge of slipping quietly under the table, we were all a bit rosy cheeked from our vinous exertions. Claire and Tom decided that they didn’t want to go to see the Eiffel Tower after all, so we headed off to another recommended place. I must say, the Paris Metro when slightly pissed on organic wine is an utterly wonderous place to be. Perhaps it is just that when the sun is out and one has just drunk truly fabulous, pure wine, almost everywhere is a wonderous place to be.
L’Estaminet is tucked away in the Marché des Enfants Rouge on Rue Bretagne and is a stall selling wine with a neighbouring wine bar. As it was actually a public holiday in France – something which no doubt added enormously to the very laid back feeling of everything – the stall was shut but the bar was open and was promoting a red from Cotes de Catalanes down south. 2005 Domaine Rouaud Barbachane was 100% Grenache, organic and made by a young couple. It was also exceptionally good value for money and incredibly delicious – soft, dense, sweet fruit again with a spicy edge. I am finding that with a lot of these incredibly natural wines at the moment, the fruit is astonishingly sweet. There are elements of the flavour which taste like a bunch of very ripe grapes has merely been squeezed into a glass and I completely love this.Things were starting to get hazier at this point but in a very wonderful rose (perhaps that should be red) tinted sort of way. We moved outside eventually and were surrounded by Parisians having a day off and eating couscous. The weather was complete perfection – nicely warm without being at all sticky.
We had time for one more stop before Claire and Tom took the train back and so decided to visit La Muse Vin at 101 rue de Charonne which was not too far away. It was completely empty when we arrived at about 5.30pm but one of the owners dealt with my increasingly eccentric French (pretty unconventional at the best of times) admirably and we had soon chosen a Loire Chenin Blanc from a producer called Julien Courtois. At least I think that is what it was but things had moved from hazy to downright confusing at that point and the owner and I were having one of those conversations where I suspect neither was even remotely following what the other was getting at; but we chattered on regardless. I certainly tasted like it could have been a Loire Chenin, incredibly steely while at the same time having a fabulously delicate aspect and a completely delicious honeyed, nutty finish. By the time that bottle had finished, none of us had a care in the world and we all loved each other very, very deeply. We also wanted to move to Paris and open a Green & Blue while Claire and Tom’s children ran Green & Blue in the UK. It is worth pointing out here that Claire and Tom are not a couple and never have been, have no children or indeed any plans to procreate imminently so those particular plans had lost touch with reality entirely. Despite this, we decided that to celebrate our great good fortune at having masterminded the next phase of Green & Blue, we would have to have a final bottle of wine.
We recently started stocking a Trousseau from Arbois in Lordship Lane which is already a bit of a favourite with all of us. Biodynamic with very delicate, crisp red fruit, it is deliciously easy to drink. They were stocking a 2005 Jean Marc Brignot Trousseau which I had never heard of but we all thought that it was worth a try. It was most certainly very worth many tries and if we had had more time, I think we might have done just that. This was the bottle of the day on what had been a very, very good day. Completely different to the one we stock (not better, just different), it was full of very fresh, silky red and black fruit with what I can only really describe as freshly chopped herbs which were especially strong on the finish. This changed constantly in the glass with the fresh herbs coming and going and a perfumed leather aspect also appearing and disappearing. Planning the move to Paris took a back seat while Claire and I just sipped in reverential silence. I am not sure what Jude and Tom were doing – they went outside and smoked cigarettes with the owner, I think. At one point, Tom did disappear to have a long discussion with himself in the mirror in the bathroom where Jude briefly joined him to do the same. It seemed entirely sensible at the time and we certainly didn’t mind. More incredible wine for us.
I am really not entirely sure of how we negotiated the next phase but taxi’s miraculously appeared and off we sailed – Claire and Tom to Gare du Nord and Jude and I to our hotel. I can’t say I felt fabulous the next day but I certainly felt a million times better than I would have done if we had been drinking wines which were not organic and biodynamic. There was no nausea and no fragile, painful head, only a fuzzy, out of focus feeling which developed into something gloomier later on after Jude had spoken to our insurance company. That however is absolutely not for dwelling on here. Thank you Claire and Tom, for your amazing loyalty and very hard work and we hope you had as much fun we did. Without you and the rest of the team, we would not be even nearly what we are.
