At Le Bistro Grenache in Carpentras, the simpatico owner / sommelier Christian-Paul Peyron knows how to liven up a set, having worked as a location and set manager in the French film industry.
For the evening of International Grenache Day on Sept. 20, Christian recruited an animated cast that had the terrace and sidewalk of Le Bistro Grenache heaving with merry wine lovers celebrating Grenache and a good bit of other French grape varieties; the evening kicked off with oysters and Sancerre, and then moved onto charcuterie and the hearty Grenache blends of the Rhone Valley.
This wine shop and wine bar is a swell place to hone your palate on the various appellations of the Rhone Valley, including the often overlooked vintages of the Ventoux.
Christian launched his wine bistro last year in Carpentras after rounding out his passion for wine by completing studies in 2011 at the Wine University in Suze la Rousse, an esteemed school that organizes technical, oenological and commercial training for all professions in the world of wine. A native of and a huge supporter of everything Carpentras, he spent seven years in 1980’s in Los Angeles teaching at the Lycée Française.
The wine cellar has a selection of wines from the Rhone Valley, Languedoc Roussillon, Provence, Bourgogne, the Loire Valley, Bordeaux, the Southwest and Champagne. The Grenache Bistro is the only wine shop in France to offer the wines of the Domaine Murmurium in Mormoiron. The bar is also stocked with whisky, rum, Cognac, Armagnac, Porto, beer, Eaux de vie and liqueurs.
On Thursday to Saturday evenings, the Grenache Bistro serves charcuterie, cheeses, antipasti, tapas, tomatoes, olives and other delicacies to pair with wine. There are accessories for wine drinkers such as the snazzy decorated small metal barrels that hold replaceable 3 litres of bag-in-box wine (see photo below).
Wine enthusiasts visiting the Southern Rhone can familiarize themselves with local wines at the Grenache Bistro, which also serves as a launching pad for sorties into the wine country north of Carpentras – Beaumes-de-Venise, Vacqueryas and Gigondas.
And the Grenache Bistro offers one other thing in sort supply in busy Carpentras: free and easily-accessed parking.
Basics:
Le Bistro Grenache, a wine shop and wine bar: 107 Place De Verdun 84200 Carpentras, Tel 06 09 48 17 42
The ‘Cave” is open Tues. 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Wed – Sat, from 10:00 am. to 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; The Bistro-Restaurant open from 8:00 p.m. until midnight. Wines by the glass during regular hours. Reserve for evening servings.
Directions: The Place De Verdun is located on the eastern side of Carpentras, Ave Jean Jaures intersects with Ave du Mont Ventoux (D942) Google Map
Facebook, Email: cavelegrenache@gmail.com,