Paris Wine Bar
by Kim Owens
November 5, 2004

Transformation is such an amazing thing, and in particular, I am finding it difficult to picture the new Paris Wine Bar as anything but a warm, artistically accented, and welcoming lounge. In actuality, this spot was a bookstore that complimented Paris on the Platte, a well-known café next door that plays hosts to both dedicated patrons and employees alike.
After running their café and the bookstore for 18 years, owner Faye and business partner and husband felt that it may be time for a change, since they were selling more books online than within the actual property. “The area has become more and more valuable, it’s become busier, there’s more businesses and people living here. And there was no one living here when we first opened,” she explains. It became more apparent that they could use the space in a better way, and she had always loved wine since she went to school in France in the ‘70s.

When it came time to decided what they wanted their wine bar to be, they reflected back to another place that was once located on Wazee Street called Pokal, a spot where the couple celebrated their wedding reception. Although it was only around for two or three years, Faye says it was ahead of it’s time, “They had cheeses, homemade bread and a wine cellar downstairs. And I just loved this place!”

At the time she was working on My Brother’s Bar, located at the corner of 15th and Platte, and her and her co-workers would visit in the afternoon with the ultimate meal: wine, bread and cheese. It was this quiet place that offered acomforting and relaxed atmosphere that gave her the inspiration for Paris Wine Bar, “where you could just pick a nice bottle of wine and chat all afternoon.”

Just a few minutes after sitting at the long, warmly lit bar with the bottles of wine lining the glowing wall, small tables and chairs arranged for quiet conversation, and vibrantly organic art on the wall, you can feel the harmony within Paris Wine Bar. Their menu offers up all the delectable cheeses, fresh fruit, Antipasto and a tray of Mediterranean delights, complete with fresh mozzarella, feta, tomatoes and fresh basil. On the lighter side you can order up some pate, salmon mousse or the Torta de Chevre, which is a dish of herbed goat cheese layered with fresh pesto and red pepper, with crackers for spreading.

Then there’s the wine, the favorite part of the interview. We go down the list for a bit, trying the Just Red, a blend of Zinfandel and Merlot, Alamos Malbec, a signature wine from Argentina that would complement lighter fare like Thai food, and the Jed’s Steele, a Syrah from California. The Montes Reserve Cabernet is just fabulous, a Chilean wine with spicy accents of cinnamon and raspberry.

This was also the favorite part of putting the wine bar together: tasting and picking the wines. In all, Faye went through over 500 of them, not all at one time of course.

As the clock rolled to 10 o’clock, the place was alive with conversation and wine, some relaxing after the end of a long day, including the staff from Zengo, a bustling restaurant and bar located on the other side of the bridge. Faye sat with them and enjoyed their company, which is one of the many perks of running such a place. “The response has been overwhelming and positive,” she remarks. “We’ve got some really loyal regulars…and we’re hoping to get more,” Faye adds, laughing.

This Friday, November 5, Paris Wine Bar presents their Grand Opening party featuring Reverend Deadeye around 8pm or so, and earlier in the evening the wine will be flowing with plenty of food.

In the future they also plan to hold a number of wine tasting events, including one on November 18 to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau. In the Beaujolais region of France, the Gamay grape is best drunk young. So the grapes that were released and bottled this year will be poured for their pre-Thanksgiving party, which is presented in conjunction with Corks and their seemlier, Rick Schieferstein, who also works at this wine store conveniently located across the street for those that want to take some bottles home for the holidays.