La cave des Affranchis

After chasing bubbles for Charles Heidsieck Champagnes, Laetitia Laure fell glass first into the world of natural wines. A former press rep, and the author of a book about the world of Loire wines, she has been celebrating Les Affranchis, a wonderful wine show dedicated to clean wines, since 2013. She fermented her plans to open a wine shop for a long time, finally pulling the trigger in 2021 along the Loire River (shattered tile floors, paper lanterns, original Tolmer prints) with her winemaker partner Hervé Villemade. What will you find on the shelves? A local R20 red from Olivier Lemasson (€12 a bottle), Le Berceau des Fées, an Angers Chenin from Tessa Laroche (€52 for a magnum) or Stella Maris, a Touraine Sauvignon from Noëlla Morantin (€14); and Villemade wines of course, like La Bodice, a white blend (€19). And to go with the bottles, there are cheese or charcuterie platter to nibble on while seated on the terrace. // R.P. 

The bullet-proof bottle: Les Acacias, a Romorantin from Hervé Villemade (€27).