For more than twenty years he has lived in “the 11thmy » Since the capital, Alice has never been without a small wine bar, for the pleasure of having a drink with friends. But, from now on, it would become almost a necessary step: “I have the impression that there is nothing else, on every corner! As if a new one opens every week.” And one more, just a stone’s throw away, is the Fitzcaraldo. This is the latest addition to the large family of Chambre Noire establishments, half wine cellar, half bar, 100% trendy and with minimalist decor, which extends across the north-east district of Paris.
On the evening of the last Friday in August, Milan, a 44-year-old architect, found himself there somewhat by chance with his “friends” around a bottle of “natural pet” (natural sparkling wine), because the wine shop next door is already “armored”. Paloma and Euphrasie, freelance photographers in their thirties, came for the atmosphere “living room, where everyone talks to everyone.” To tell the truth, they had not even asked themselves the question: “Everyone goes to wine bars these days, right?”
This is becoming more and more common in large urban centres where these businesses are booming, as well as in wine-growing areas where they are part of a more traditional wine tourism offer. How many are there in the country? It is impossible to know, due to the lack of an official census. The study published in July by the Businesscoot agency highlights “Impressive growth between 2010 and 2020” The number of establishments serving drinks is estimated at two thousand in France (compared to five hundred in 2005), but the figures remain uncertain due to the fragmentation of the market, which is mainly made up of small independent players, with often fragile economies. Questioned, the UMIH, the employers’ organisation representing the hotel and catering sector, only mentions the number of establishments serving drinks (thirty-five thousand in France) which include cafés, bars and even nightclubs.
The possibility of snacking
It must be said that the typology is not so simple to define: “What distinguishes a wine bar from a wine bar?” asks Pierrick Bourgault, journalist for “bistrology”. At least some characteristic elements: a wide range of wines, with service by the glass and the possibility of nibbling (unlike a wine cellar), and very often a passionate boss. Otherwise, there is something for every palate and every atmosphere: there are wine bars in front of a barrel, cellars with cutlery and “wine bars” specializing in Burgundian or Georgian wines; there are those where wine is served on tap and those where great wines are uncorked, those where we delight in hip-hop and those where we invite date, those who compete in Berlin decoration and those who combine an ice cream parlour or ice cream shop activity taco shop, those who have the IV license against those who do not. In fact, there would be as many as owners: “It sounds fancy to call yourself a wine bar, but that means everything and nothing, as there are so many different identities.” Etienne Lucan summarizes, From Wine to Green (Paris 9my).
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