Only Wine

In their cave à manger done up with lots of stone and light wood, discreetly located behind the Pornichet train station, Christine and Gérard Corchia sure know how to pamper their regulars. The couple has plenty of experience, most notably having orchestrated the restaurant Beau Rivage in Pornic, which then became Le 21. The location might not be ideal and the name isn’t exactly a stroke of genius, but everything else is incredible! Starting with their wines, no less than 500 natural vintages that Christine sourced from all across France: Kaya, a grenache blanc and carignan blanc blend from the Domaine des Soulanes (€6 a glass), Utopiste, a skin-contact gewürztraminer from Kumpf & Meyer (€27.50 in house, including the €9 corkage fee), Vaste Programme, a blend from the Provence winery Les Maoù (€22.80)… Meanwhile, Gérard is busy preparing snacks in the kitchen (homemade hummus tartines, Iberian charcuterie boards or cheeses from Dagnat), along with sophisticated bistro dishes, like seasonal risotto, langoustine burgers or, sometimes, veal sweetbreads. // Larosé

THE BULLET-PROOF BOTTLE: Rare Évidence 2011 produced by Étienne Courtois (€57.50), a Sologne menu pineau aged for 120 months in non-ouillé barrels, Jura-style.