Has "natural" wine taken over Paris?

Question

Hello all! I'm planning eleven nights of dining in Paris in March and after doing a fair amount of research on the restaurants I'm considering I am starting to think I'm going to find many wine lists composed of only or mostly natural wine. Let's just say from my, granted somewhat limited experience with it, I am not a big fan of natural wine. Are most bistronomie and "hip...ish" restaurants all leaning this way? I'll be alone so ordering reds by the glass. Thanks for any responses anyone can offer.

Best, wvdthree

Answer

What Jake said. 

Many, but not all, publish their wine lists on their websites. Even if they don't, if you look at photos on the websites, you sometimes can get an idea from the bottles in the pictures.

Many natural wine places now offer tastes before you accept the wine. Also, if you've ordered a bottle, don't hesitate to ask for a decanter ("carafe" in French) -- 4-5 minutes of airing can clean up many stinky wines (but others, alas, are beyond hope).

Answer

Well, natural wine in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. 

Natural wine also does not necessarily mean an unfiltered wine, so it can be perfectly clear and stable. A good wine maker will be able to do this - though I must admit having had to throw away a few bottles at home which were off. 

Sediments in a wine bottle do not have to cause any issues, as long as the person pouring the bottle takes this into account. When I visited a small restaurant in Arcins last year the waiter poured sediments into my glass, and when I complained he just shrugged it off. That's not the way, for sure. 

Anyway, I still have an old menu (2009) from Yves Camdeborde's Le Comptoir, and there I drank many natural wines. From a cheverny by Thierry Puzelat at 19 euro a bottle to Marcel Lapierre's excellent Morgon at 36 euro.

Answer

Yes, I think so, There’s a worldwide revolution going on in wine, and Paris is its frontline. Over the past three decades, the city’s drinkers have increasingly rejected the old regional hierarchies of French wine dominated by large producers of Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne in favor of what have come to be known as natural wines.

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Has "natural" wine taken over Paris?

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