Les Caves du Forum is my favorite wine shop in Reims, and if you come to Champagne you ought to stop in. I was introduced to this store by my friend Jon-David Headrick — tucked away in an underground cellar off of the Place du Forum, it’s a treasure trove of artisanal, authentic wines from all over France. Naturally I gravitate towards the Champagne section, which, although it does contain some well-chosen big brands and famous houses, is always full of small, high-quality grower-producers. Proprietor Fabrice Parisot is scrupulous and attentive in his selection — if I see a new champagne there that I don’t know, I will generally buy it without question. In both champagnes and wines from elsewhere, Parisot has a strong preference for natural viticulture, and he stocks some of Champagne’s best organic growers, including Franck Pascal, Agrapart, Benoît Lahaye and Françoise Bedel. Beyond bubbles, you’ll encounter such things as François Cotat Sancerre, Emmanuel Houillon Arbois Pupillin, Lafarge Volnay, Roulot Meursault, Domaine du Vissoux Moulin-à-Vent and many other delectable wines from like-minded growers. Today he poured me a chardonnay from Domaine Labet that makes me think that the Jura should be added to the list of the Great Homes of Chardonnay, along with Champagne, Chablis and the Côte d’Or. But that’s a story for another day....
Les Caves du Forum, 10, rue Courmeaux, 51100 Reims
