Our local supermarket, like all the others in France, sells an astounding array of alcohol, with some very good wines at exceptional prices. They also sell some very cheap and cheerful stuff. Without the heavy taxation of the UK, all the alcohol here seems like pretty good value but we are certainly not used to seeing wine on the supermarket shelves priced in the thirty/fifty pound bracket. So, quite a range…
It gets better – the supermarket also has a Cave (a wine shop) just a hundred or so metres away and we have been to investigate it.
One of the first things that we spotted in there was a Methuselah of champagne
in a very smart case! (note the array of Malts behind)
It was a little on the pricey side but, hey, it’s 8 bottles’ worth, isn’t it? and, look, only 60 of these in the whole wide world, so rarity value too. Overall, I think I’ll stick to a good Crèmant de Loire!
Or maybe some of this (this shop being nothing if not egalitarian, in the French manner) – fill your own vessel for €1,75 a litre!
A real, live wine service station pump 🙂
We didn’t try it out this visit, nor did we try the Champagne, or the lovely red wine that I spotted at €555 a bottle. No, we took a middle ground and bought some Pamplemousse Rosé; a litre plastic bottle, unlabelled, for €2,50. I’ll tell you what – it is gorgeous! I know it looks cloudy but that’s because I just shook it up to distribute the grapefruit pulp, ready for drinking. We shall return to purchase more. Perfect drinking on hot summer evenings.
Pamplemousse Rosé seems to be quite the thing here. We went to a social gathering recently and Rosé wine was served with a choice of Pamplemousse or Pêche syrup added. It was nice enough but I have to say that I prefer the cleaner taste obtained by using fresh grapefruit, which I am certain is used in the E.Leclerc product.