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Les Vins De France
Off piste
Oddbins has raised the game for off-licences all over Britain, but now it appears the baton of innovation is being passed to a host of independent retailers in central Scotland. Johnny Regan and Doug Johnstone check out the most spirited purveyors of all things alcoholic.
Glasgow
Shawlands Cross is the unlikely location of the most charming new addition to (ilasgow's list of take— away hoo/c emporiums. Les \"ins De France is unique in that the people who own and run it deal directly with suppliers from the great wine regions: Cotes Du Rhone. Burgundy. Bordeaux. the Loire Valley. Languedoc and Champagne. There are no intermediate salespeople pushing their brands onto the shelves of this charming. diminutive store with a wine-coloured facade. The staff are French and owner Charles Husson
explains why this store is ahead of
the game: ‘The difference is that we import 95"? of products straight from France. All of these wines are exclusive to this store. Also. we value our relationship with the customer. We want to explain to them the variety of grape. the region. which foods this wine should be taken with.’
Les Vins De France is committed
to offering a comprehensive taste of France and. therefore. the staff dedicate a large amount of their
time to explaining to their cherished
customers which dish would he a suitable accompaniment to. say. a 2002 Sancerre (answer: fried morsels of sole in a taitare sauce). For too long have the reliahly unadventurotis dipsomaniacs of the Southside faced a dearth of drinking options. Htisson says: “Off-licences are all right. as long as people know that they‘re not going to get any help when they're trying to select fine wine there. There are too many chains here. which narrows the range of wines available in the British wine market. Right away. these chains rule out the small producer. which is a shame because there are some wonderful wines made by these people.’
He rings off the Gigondas Chateau Neuf Du Pape from Avignon in the Rhone valley. the selection of Charles Rennie Mackintosh Cuvées and the Gewurztrammer Vendantes
Tardievens (late harvest) as three of
the finest. reasonath priced wines
on offer. No bottle sells for under
£5. but that‘s understandable when the idea is to drink this wine with something from the wide selection of French food that les Vins De France also offers. (Johnny Regani
I Les Vins De France, 1109 Pollokshaws Road, 0141 632 4923
Best for obscure beer
The Cave is one of the West lind's most cherished off-licences and delicatessens. It‘s in the heart of the party zone. and the emphasis is on beer deals. Exactly which heers. however. is what marks the Cave out. How about an obscure Nigerian or Belgian ale‘.’ ()r the Lone Star from Texas. or the Dixy Blackened Voodoo straight out of New ()rleans‘.’
I The Cave, 421 Great Western Road, 0141 357 5550
Best for organic wine
Hearing the words ‘organic' and ‘wine' in the same phrase can conjure up unfortunate past taste
Grassroots
c\pci‘iciiccs llt\til\lll_‘_' duhiously hitter. clear fluids. cldci'hcii‘ics and iiicad. llowcyci'. they‘re keen on disahusiiig us ol such negatiye pi'cconccpiiiins, 'l hcy stock around 5“ organic hottlcs. and each is low in sulphui. which means that it's almost inipossihlc to get a hangoyer lroiii it. l'iilcss you drink six liottlcs. which. lclis lacc ll. Isa distinct possibility loi some people. I Grassroots, 20 Woodlands Road, 0141 353 3078
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Best for deals
Bier Keller is an unpretentious. independently owned ollliccncc giying the ray eiious population the hoo/c that il wants at a low price. It's got a hilariously oyei'-thc—top sign outside (with the wrong shop name on iii and its deals on conyentional heei‘s and
local
wines are legendary. .liisi ask the stall [H l‘lllj.‘ (ill the specials. such .‘is three hotiles of wine for L'lll. or ilic classic: 8 \ Silllinl 'lciiiicnts for £5.50
I Bier Keller, 44 Sinclair Drive, 01416492080
31¢???
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