When you’re in the Rhône Valley surrounded by wineries, why on earth would you want to visit a wine shop?! In fact, there are many reasons. Some estates don’t accept visitors or might be closed when you want to call in. At a wine shop (caviste in French) you can buy mixed cases, including bottles from multiple producers, rather than buying lots all from one domaine. And wine shop staff can be great sources of independent information about the region, under-the-radar villages, up-and-coming producers, local restaurants… And what if you need a bottle of Champagne? View a selection of the best wine shops to visit in the Rhône Valley below.
Best wine shops in the Rhône
Northern Rhône
Antic Wine
Lyon
Last time I was there, the staff member at Antic Wine in Lyon that served me dropped a free homemade saucisson in my shopping bag. This is just one reason I will be going back there. It’s a small, chaotic wine shop where you can find some extremely good bottles from the Rhône and Burgundy, including lots of magnums and hard-to-find treats. Owner Georges dos Santos is energetic, opinionated, and obsessed with wine – this shop in the old town embodies all of these things.
+33 (0)4 78 37 08 96
Vinothèque de Serine
Ampuis
There are a couple of good options for buying wine in Ampuis. Next door to Le Bistrot de Serine is their wine shop, Le Vinothèque de Serine. If there’s anything on their wine list that takes you fancy – but don’t have the capacity to drink there and then – you can fill your car boot after lunch. A cunning trick on their part that I happily fall for every time I visit. Expect a huge range of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu and Saint-Joseph, but all Northern Rhône appellations are available. The other good place in Ampuis to buy wine to take away is Les Epicurieux, 5 minutes’ walk up the road.
bistrotdeserine.net/vinotheque
La Bouteillerie
Condrieu
If you’re travelling through Condrieu on the main D386, you’ll pass La Bouteillerie. Naturally they have an extensive range Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu, but you can also find some excellent wines from the Southern Rhône and further afield. The range is well-chosen, starting with inexpensive IGP wines that punch above their weight, all the way up to mature vintages of Guigal’s single vineyard Côte-Rôties.
La Compagnie de l’Hermitage
Tain l’Hermitage
Nestled within Tain l’Hermitage – a small town within the Rhône Valley – there are two wine shops, both owned by George Lelektsoglou, a.k.a. Georges Le Grec, or ‘Greek George’ as he affectionately known. He’s been trading wine from the village for decades and is known by all the local winemakers. It’s worth taking a look in both shops, but many of the top bottles are held at the Avenue Dr Paul Durand branch. If you’re lucky, Georges might show you a few of his real unicorn bottles… but you’ll need very deep pockets to walk away with them!
Cave aux Cinq Sens
Tain l’Hermitage
As you approach La Cave aux Cinq Sens, you’d be forgiven for feeling apprehensive. After all, this isn’t some antique, subterranean cellar – it’s a modern unit on commercial estate next to a supermarket near the motorway. So if you’re looking for romance and Instgrammable dusty bottles, this isn’t for you; if you’re looking for an exceedingly good range of Northern Rhône wines at reasonable prices however, step right in. If you’re interested in spirits and local beers, they can help there too – the team is young and knowledgeable. They also have branches in Vienne, Valence and Salaise-sur-Sanne (between Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage).
Southern Rhône
Le Caveau du Gigondas
Gigondas
In some wine villages, the main square is best avoided – too many big-volume brands and tourist traps. That’s not the case in Gigondas, where the boutiques are owned by leading producers such as Moulin de la Gardette and Domaine du Terme. You’ll also find Le Caveau du Gigondas, which is something a bit different. Organised by the Gigondas wine producers association, you can buy over 100 different Gigondas wines here – all for sale at the same price as you would find them direct from the estate. You can buy by the bottle or the case, and – best of all – you can taste them before you buy.
Vinadéa
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
There are numerous little boutiques and cellars dotted around Châteauneuf-du-Pape. What makes Vinadéa different is that the shop is owned by the association of local winemakers. This is good news for several reasons. Firstly, you can choose from a huge number of local estates (many other local boutiques are owned by individual estates). Secondly, the prices in the shop are the same as you would pay at the estate itself – so prices are low, and you can buy by the bottle or the case. Thirdly, the staff have great knowledge of not just the different estates, but of the appellation and it’s terroir more widely. To top it off, they can usually organise international shipping.
Le Pot du Vin
Uzès
Who doesn’t love a shop with a verdant open-air courtyard? Les Pots d’Uzès has one, where you can mill around choosing which large terracotta vessels would look best on the terrasse of your imaginary villa. Keep going towards the back and you’ll find some stairs that lead you down deep into the cool, damp basement of Le Pot du Vin, the perfect atmosphere for storing wine. Lots of gems to uncover here, including some slightly older bottles, which aren’t always easy to find – mostly Rhône, Provence and Languedoc.
+33 (0)6 03 22 68 97
Le Vin devant Soi
Avignon
Tucked away down a little side street next to the main square in Avignon, Le Vin devant Soi (‘The Wine Before You’) is a small space, but they’ve managed to cram in a lot of wine – and a row of dispensing machines so you can try a range of wines on the premises. If you’re looking for rarer cuvées, this can be a good place to visit; they also stock some of the more esoteric Provence appellations such as Cassis and Palette.
Cave de Chaz
Villeneuve-lès-Avignon
Robin Chazalon opened his shop just a few years ago in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. I’m not sure how he’s managed to accrue so much knowledge so young (in part because his father’s a winemaker), but it’s stacked with some of the most exciting names in Rhône wines – and plenty of options from other French regions, including the Loire, Burgundy, Languedoc, Corsica… It’s a good place to winkle out some of the Rhône’s rarer bottles and he even has some serious bottles from outside France – sacré bleu!
Liquid
Avignon
Conveniently placed just a minutes’ walk from Les Halles in Avignon, Cave Liquid is a winning combination of impressive range and excellent service. Hugues Imperiali opened the store in 2003, and his easy-going demeanour belies his impressive depth of knowledge of Rhône and Provençal wines. If you’re looking for a gift for a winelover, he also stocks a massive range of wine accessories. International shipping can usually be organised if you don’t have room in your suitcase.
woowine.com/cavistes/avignon-liquid
Maison Moga
Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
If you’re visiting Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, make sure you pop into Maison Moga. It’s essentially a high-end delicatessen that specialises in cheese, charcuterie and wine (but you can find lots of other delicious edibles). It’s not a big store, but they pack a lot in – you can buy to take away, or you can order platters of meat or cheese to eat on their covered terrace with a glass of rosé. The wine corner may not be huge, but it is exceptionally well chosen, with great picks all the way from picnic wines up to hard-to-find and rare bottles. Rhône and Provence are the stars of course, but there range of Champagne is also pretty smart.
