Fed up with conventional wines? A stone’s throw from the cathedral, Jean Walch’s wine shop keeps the people of Strasbourg’s thirst quenched. Here it’s not so much about grape varieties or techniques: the owner, a devoted naturalist, speaks in layman’s terms. And more impressively still, he personally knows all (or nearly all!) of the winemakers whose bottles he sells. You’ll find yourself surrounded by an embarrassment of riches, between regional winemakers (a Pinot noir from Bruno Schueller at €34 a bottle, a Pinot blanc from Marc Kreydenweiss at €14.50…) and friends from elsewhere – a Faugères from Le Clos Fantine (€13.60), Couleurs Réunies, an Hérault red from Jean-François Coutelou (€13)… And why not take a few beers home with you (Perle, La Franche…), some saucisson or even a few books. // P.
The bullet-proof bottle: Steinert, a 2017 macerated Gewurztraminer from Pierre Frick (€25).
