THE WORLD CAPITAL OF FOOD - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette - page 237

2 e and 13 e : Legrand Filles & Fils; 1 rue de la Banque;
tel: [phone]. Lovely shop in the Galerie Vivienne,
with well-priced vins de pays , vintage wines, eaux de vie
and other brandies. Wine bar, books, accessories and
some food products.
7 e : Ryst-Dupeyron; 79 rue du Bac; tel: [phone].
Known for its family-produced armagnac, aged calvados ,
and wines from Bordeaux. Catalogue available.
8 e : Les Caves Taillevent; 199 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré;
tel: [phone]. A vast assortment of excellent wines,
plus regular Saturday morning wine tastings.
8 e : Les Caves Augé; 116 boulevard Haussmann;
tel: [phone]. Prestigious shop with old wines and
some reasonably priced younger ones.
14 e and 16 e : Les Caves du Savour; 120 boulevard du
Montparnasse; tel: [phone]. Wines of all qualities
and price ranges. Wine tasting and catalogue for telephone
orders. Home delivery available.
CHAMPAGNE
Although vines have been growing in the northern
Champagne region of France since Roman times, the
second fermentation that produces the delicious bubbly
that people revere didn't come into being until the 17th
century. And lucky for connoisseurs, its refinement and
prestige have increasingly grown. Today, only wines grown
in this region and produced by the méthode champenoise
may be called Champagne. All others are generally called
“sparkling wines.”
There are many varieties and producers of Champagne.
Work with your caviste , pay attention to the tastings when
they're announced, and you might even take a weekend up in
Reims or Epernay and visit the tasting rooms of the grandes
marques . Learn which Champagnes you like and then you'll
appreciate the words of the great English economist John
Maynard Keynes: “The only regret in life is that I did not
drink more Champagne.”