Wines

$14.99 Georges Duboeuf Morgon Jean Descombes 2009

“Light tannins and a smoky mineral note frame this lush red, which displays layers of black cherry, raspberry ganache, and tea rose flavors. There’s a spicy thread running through the wine, leading to a fresh firm finish.” 93 point, Wine Spectator.

$17.99 half bottle Mád Cuvée 2008 late harvest Royal Tokaji

This gorgeous little bottle just came into the shop about a week and a half ago. Tokaji is Hungarian, not French, but it’s been enjoyed in France since Louis XIV’s reign and boasts the first appellation classification regulations. Sometimes called the ‘wine of kings, king of wines’ (a nickname coined by Louis XV) this particular Tokaji has white floral notes and a sweet, pure honey flavor, with a perfectly clean, bright finish that stays away from being sticky or cloying. On the cool fall day that I tried it, I was instantly brought back to the summer, to honey bees and fresh nectar.

$33.00 half bottle Diebolt-Vallois NV Champagne

One of the few grower-producers (RMs) in Champagne, Jaques Diebolt was also previously named “Champagne producer of the year”. Unlike the large champagne houses that buy grapes and juice from a number of smaller cooperatives, Diebolt uses only the grapes from his own grand cru and premier cru vineyards in the village of cramant, and oversees every step of the fermentation and blending process to create a truly memorable champagne. “Pungent yet refined nose combines spring flowers, caraway seeds, minerals, citrus skin and apple. Brisk and pure but creamy with incisive apple and citrus flavors and great finesse/ Very light on its feet and perfumed in the mouth. Finish is floral, gripping, and very long” 91 points Stephen Tanzer

Nordic Sweets salty licorice fish and salmiac stix. $4.79

Sal ammoniac (ammonium chlorate) is the secret ingredient in Nordic licorice that gives it a distinctive tingly numbing zing. Don’t let the chemical-sounding ingredient put you off, centuries ago this naturally occurring compound was called ‘salt of Ammon’ and was highly regarded around the world. Today, its use is mostly reserved for Nordic candy. We’re carrying two new licorice candies guaranteed to please, salmiac stix and strangely endearing salty licorice fish.

$2.99 Storz Nougat praliné

Have you ever sneaked a little nutella right off the spoon? We haven’t either, we swear. But for serious lovers of chocolate hazelnut, we present Storz nougat bar. With a consistently silky texture and rich, sweet flavor, this bar is delightfully creamy and decadent.

$2.49 Marabou Dubbel Nougat bar

speaking of nougat, Marabou’s dubbel bar is one layer of hazelnut, one layer of almond. It’s fudgy and nutty and so rich you’ll want to share it with a friend. Or maybe not.

Liqueur filled chocolate goblets $1.99 each

Abtey Chocolaterie brings us a holiday favorite this week, liqueur filled chocolate goblets. Bite off the chocolate top and take a quick sip of Grand Marnier, Remy Martin champagne cognac, or Label 5 scotch whiskey. These are charming little candies to toast a friend or treat yourself.

El Farcell de Vilatzara $29.99/lb. $7.49/quarter lb.
This pasteurized cows milk cheese is repeatedly washed with coffee. The velvety smooth white paste is mushroomy and mildly earthy with elegant coffee overtones that perfectly compliment the creamy, milky flavors.

Well, that’s all for today. I hope everyone had a safe and spooky Halloween, and I look forward to hearing about it!

The secret of Les Moulins Mahjoub olive oil lies in the choice of methods of grinding and pressing the fresh, organic fruit, designed to preserve the full flavor of the olive: crushing time, grinding under cold conditions, use of scourtins (round pressing mats) in natural fibers, selection of oil according to pressing, decantation using a hand skimming process, storage and maturation. The oil is not separated by centrifugation, but by natural decantation. As the oil is lighter, it floats to the top, above the vegetable water, enabling it to be skimmed off. Before bottling, the oil is left to settle and mature for some time until its flavor, odor and acidity are perfect. 37 cl, $10.99 or 1 L $21.99.

Castelas extra virgin olive oil. A.O.C. Vallée des Beaux de Provence

These people really, *really* love olive oil. Expounding upon the terroir of their patch of Provence, the family-owned Castelas suggests tasting this oil as you would a fine wine. It smells of, freshly cut grass and the olives’ green fruitiness, typical of an oil extracted from freshly harvested fruit. On the palate, intense olive flavors develop into exquisite notes of raw artichoke and sweet almonds. On the finish, delicate sensations heightened by peppery aromas and an enlivening hint of freshness. Try a comparison between their signature oil and their ‘black fruit’ oil as well. The darker fruit is more earthy and stronger flavored, as it takes more of these olives to produce a bottle of oil. 500 ml $25.00, or 750 for $35.00.

Banyuls vinegar

Banyuls vinegar is like sherry wine vinegar’s more refined and delicate French cousin. Like Port and sherry wine, Banyuls is a fortified sweet wine. Made from grenache grown in and around Banyuls-sur-mer, Banyuls vinegar develops a walnut, coffee, licorice, and vanilla, flavor and aroma of fresh plums after being aged in wooden barrels for a minimum of five years. Like sherry wine vinegar, it makes a great vinaigrette, and mixes well with nut oils. Its natural sweetness also makes it an good choice for deglazing rich dishes like sautéed duck or foie gras. It can be difficult to find, but we have two kinds! a five year old, 500 ml bottle ($16.99) and a six year old, 750 ml bottle ($26.99).

Fusion Verjus

This vinegar alternative is made from vinifera grapes harvested and crushed in mid-summer when acid levels are high and sugar levels are low. This “must” remains unfermented and is delicately tart, refreshing, and versitile in cooking. Fusion vejus enjoys a natural affinity to wine. It has a milder, more wine-friendly acidity compared to vinegars, which actually helps to integrate the food and wine. Where you might be tempted to stick to fuller-bodied wines when cooking with vinegar, verjus allows a more delicate wine to retain its integrity when paired with a strongly flavored food. 750 ml bottle of Red- $13.99 or White- $15.99.

saltsaltsaltsaltsaltysaltysalt

This week we got in some brand new salts and replenished our old favorites. I couldn’t quite fit them all on the plate, but I think you get the picture; fine regional, smoked, and flavored salts aren’t just tasty, they make visually stunning additions to your kitchen and table. Put them on display with an adorable salt pig like the one shown here($13.99), or in any suitable salt cellar. We pack them out ourselves for you, and prices range from $3.00-$7.00 for 2-4 ounces, varying by salt type.

In this picture:

Smoked Cherrywood sea salt

Raspberry Chipotle

Culinary grade Dead Sea Salt

French Harvest Blend Sea Salt

Saffron Sea Salt

Lime Sea Salt

Wakame Sea Weed Sea Salt

French Lavender

additionally, we carry:

truffle sea salt

porcini sea salt

fleur du sel

french grey salt

lemon sea salt

smoked gralic sea salt

garlic and onion sea salt

smoked alderwood sea salt

Wine

2003 Clos de Brusquieres $22.99

I know, I know, I keep talking to you about Chaeauneuf-du-pape. Call me obsessed, but we just got in the best deal I’ve seen through our doors yet, so I’ve got to gush.

To quote Robert Parker (who gives it 90 points), “The superb 2003 Chateauneuf-du-pape is a deep ruby color with a big, sweet, flamboyant nose of damp earth, ground pepper, kirsch liqueur, licorice, and spice box. It is dense, full-bodied with relatively elevated levels of glycerin, moderate tannin, and some noticeable alcohol in the heady, long finish”. This wine offers a rustic, burly palate, and is not for lovers of more polished, reserved wines!

Veuve Devienne rosé sec sparkling wine and Veuve Devienne brut sparkling wine $9.99

These sparklers are just plain fun. The white is light and refreshing with floral notes that stay away from being too sweet or gaudy. The rosé is juicier, with rhubarb and raspberry overtones. At this price, these are great sparklers to start off an evening out with friends or to bring to a larger gathering.

Thanks for reading and we’ll see you soon!

Also this week we were nearly overwhelmed with two huge shipments, mainly of the glorious meaty and cheesy variety.

Take a long look at the brilliant, decadent little amuse-bouches above. Sweet, dark prunes soaked in armagnac (a distinctive brandy from gascony) and stuffed with foie gras. They’re called french kisses, and are a total knock-out. With such intense sultry flavor, these are the perfect size to get a mouthful that lingers on the palate. $15.49 for a set of six or $2.99 each.

Uncured Smoked Duck Bacon.

Yes, it’s back! a fresh batch of duck bacon. Made from moulard duck breast, this unique bacon can be enjoyed on its own for breakfast, or can be used to enhance other dishes. Try it on a salad, in a pasta, with haricot vert, or any other place you would normally use bacon to bring a richer flavor to the table. Or for a muskier, wilder flavor, try our wild boar bacon! duck bacon-$16.49, wild boar bacon- $9.49.

Foie Gras Mousse

Buttery texture, sumptuous flavor, this foie gras is perfectly fatty and perfectly fresh. light and creamy with a hint of good Sauternes wine added to the baked terrine to enhance the luxurious taste of the foie gras .Whether you want to spread it on baguette or, as many chefs are doing these days, try pan frying it, you’re in for a real treat.

But we’ll save some meats to talk about next week. In the meantime, we have two amazing cheese specials. We accidently ordered too much of two great soft cheeses, so we’re pricing them to move quickly. Our mistake is your windfall!

Purple Haze Cyprus Grove Chevre (left)

This is a beautiful soft goat’s cheese from California. The unexpected marriage of lavender and wild fennel pollen distinguishes Purple Haze and makes it utterly addictive. Delicate and sophisticated, this cheese is the winner of Best of Show, California State Fair Cheese Competition, 2009 and Best of Class, U.S. Cheese Championship 2011. I’ve eaten two of them already. You won’t find a price like this anywhere else. $1.99
Smoked Mozzarella (right)

The smoky outer layers of this cheese peel back to a sweet, soft center. This is a great little cheese for snacking on, and is perfect for kids or others who don’t appreciate your pungent gooey bleus or camembert. Melt it over mushrooms or asparagus for a perfect pairing of earthy and smoky flavors. Again, a steal at just $1.99!

Thank you for reading and we’ll see you in the shop!

Ellen

Roquefort Papillon

(shown here with buckwheat honey and fig spread to pull out the earthy-sweet flavors of the cheese)

Roquefort Papillon is on our minds right now for two reasons. For starters, there’s a fig tree that grows on Western Avenue, and we’ve been watching all summer as bright green fruits ripen to purplish-brown. Now is the perfect time for figs, and Roquefort Papillon is the perfect cheese to pair with them. Made with raw sheep’s milk, curds are blended with penicillin molds harvested from rye bread baked specially for this purpose and matured in the limestone caves of Combalou. This cheese has a distinct flavor that combines the sweet, burnt caramel taste of the milk with the metallic tang of the famous mold. The other reason we’re thinking about it is that it recently halved in price due to a change in tariffs, and as always, we’re passing those savings on to you. $18.99/lb.

But what if Bleu just isn’t for you?

Tomme Crayeuse

Few Cheese shops know how to care for Tomme Crayeuse and preserve its freshness. This cow’s milks tomme from the Savoie undergoes 2 stages of cave aging resulting in a soft but well developed rind that was not designed to be cut and wrapped in plastic. We recommend you keep it in a container when storing it in your fridge at home in order to let it breathe. The interior of the cheese is a dense almost brie like paste that is rich, gooey, sticky and sweet. It has well developed mushroom tones and a lasting tangy, buttery finish . We try to always keep this one stocked because it is one of our favorites! $21.99

Stirrings Blood orange bitters

(Seen here with Roland rough cut sugar cubes from Mauritius and Simonet Febvre rosé cremant).

I picked these bitters up a few weeks ago on the suggestion of a friend. They’re quite versatile, staying true to the concept of bitters but standing drastically apart from what Stirrings refers to as ‘old-man-with-a-dog-bitter’. Floral, mellow, but with hints of cardamom and other spices. Try them in a classic champagne cocktail by soaking a sugar cube with bitters and pouring the champagne over the top, or to really try something different, use a sparkling rose. They also make a great addition to Sangria and help cut overly sweet non-alcoholic mixed drinks.  $6.99

Chateauneuf-du-pape 

This week, Wine Spectator came out with an insider’s special report on Chateauneuf-du-pape. They featured the 2009 mouthwatering wines from this crown-jewel AOC of the Rhone Valley. Known for being complex and spicy, Chateuneuf-du-pape has become synonymous with depth and polished textures.

We carry about 25 different chateauneuf-du-papes at any one time, and eight of them were among those highlighted by Wine Spectator this week. Come in to read about all of them and decide which ones you’d like to take home, but here’s a sneak peak from their review of Bosquet des Papes ‘A la Gloire de Mon Grand-Père ($65.00)’:

“ ripe and fleshy, but old-school in feel, with tobacco, brick dust, and cocoa notes framing a core of cassis, black cherry and linzer torte. There’s a muscular edge on the finish, where an iron note lingers. Best from 2112 through 2022″

Alors, C’est tout pour maintenant!

Macarons

A perfect example of a simple dessert taken to a pinnacle of taste is the macaron. Invented in Paris in the early nineteenth century, the macaron consisted of two almond-egg white wafers with ganache in the middle. More recently, the macaron has become a showcase for pastry chefs to present their creativity. It’s the size of a large truffle, gloriously smooth, and comes in almost every flavor imaginable. We have ours frozen for freshness, in two different twelve packs ($15.99 each): chocolate, pistachio, cappucino, and lemon or raspberry, mango, lemon, and strawberry. Or try a 32 pack with chocolate, coffee, vanilla, pistachio, apricot, mango passion fruit, and apple cinnamon. $36.59.

 Croissant

As long as we’re on the subject of fluffy pastries, I’ve got to mentionbn  the humble croissant. Only the most iconic French pastry, it’s a testament to French sensibility that something so light can be made with so. much. butter. We have packs of 10 frozen mini croissants ready- to-bake made with pure butter. $6.99. Or for the same price, try 10 mini pain au chocolat. Of course, they’re wonderful with espresso for breakfast, but really, we could eat these all day long.

Brie Miramont

This week we found the perfect brie, and we plan on stocking it for a while. Brie Miramont has a distinctively succulent, ripe, rich, and creamy flavor. Only gently pasteurized at moderate temperatures, our brie retains most of the authentic flavors and qualities of the raw-milk cheese you can buy only in France. Deliciously buttery with a gooey interior. $12.99/lb.

2009 Chateau Guiraud Bordeaux Blanc Sec

White Bordeaux can be hard to find, but lately we’ve been getting a few requests for it, and we can understand why. Chataeau Guirand’s Bordeaux Blanc Sec is a fresh white, with a creamy edge to the peach, melon and salted butter notes. The stylish finish lets a hint of macadamia nut chime in. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now. The 2010 white Bordeaux are quite good as well, but as Steven Tanzer says, “overall, 2010 cannot match 2009 for sheer opulence”. $19.99

Francois Chauvent Silver Cap Grand Blanc de Blancs Brut

Of course, the city of light would be nothing without a bit of sparkle. Silver Cap is a great value sparkler. It has malt, nut and brioche notes, yet is substantially lighter and finer in weight and texture than Champagne. With modest citrus and a crisp balanced acidity, this is a fun and zippy wine perfect for toasting or pairing with rich foods. $10.99

Stephane Coquillet Champagne Brut

This delicious champagne is comprised of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay grapes, which are culled from the Grand Crus and Premier Crus of the harvest. It Exhibits amazing complexity with notes of melon, berries, toast, and butter. A persistant finish and fine bubbles: a divine way to start a feast! $47.00

This week has me feeling deeply nostalgic. Fall is right around the corner and you can almost smell it some mornings, yet the week has been nothing but hot sunny days. It’s been the kind of week that makes you want to cling fiercely to the end of summer, and take full advantage of each of these warm evenings. One of the most delightful ways to do this is of course through good food, good wine, and good company. So this week I’d like to highlight some summer flavors you can find here at the Paris Grocery.

salade Niçoise: Ah, Nice. This time of August, many Parisians themselves are headed south to enjoy the sun and sea. Salade Niçoise is a perfect way to enjoy the fresh green beans and tomatoes that are in season right now with the salty kick of anchovies and olives. We also carry mussels al la Niçoise, which we think could really take one of these salads to the next level. For some great salade Niçoise recipes, look no further than our bookshelf. I’ve found at least four different recipes while hunting through the stacks, calling for everything from fresh seared Ahi tuna to jarred albacore (which we sell, conveniently, for $9.99). There seem to be endless variations on this classic and much loved salad, so feel free to get creative and try something new!

 
In this picture, we have Vinegar of Banyuls six-year wine vinegar- $26.99, Roland silver skinned anchovies- $2.99, Barral tiny black ‘nicoises’ olives- $12.99, and Huilerie D’Opio extra virgin olive oil- $33.00 (beret and moustache sold separately).

Biscuiterie de Provence’s Delice de l’Amandier: George brought our attention this week tothis amazing flourless, gluten free almond cake. Light, moist, and irresistible, it makes a great afternoon tea treat, or a sweet dessert on a warm summer evening. Try it with a glass of rose and some fresh peaches or strawberries. Yum! $18.99

Le Picandou goat’s cheeses with Fig and Walnut Confit: These divine pasteurized goat’s milk cheeses have a lightly sweet yet sour taste. Incredibly soft-textured and fresh-tasting. $2.99 each. We’ve paired them with L’Epicurian’s fig and walnut confit, a deliciously simple spread of figs, sugar, white wine from Pays d’Oc, and walnuts. $8.59.

Idiazabal sheep’s cheese with Black Cherry Confit: If you’ve been in the shop in the last week, you may have noticed that we are now the home of all of the Spanish Table’s cheeses. We’re thrilled to have them, and this week we’re highlighting a traditional Basque favorite. It’s one of our favorites too, we’ve been sampling it all week! This farmhouse cheese is smoked over hawthorne or cherry wood, and is made with raw whole sheep’s milk for a robust and sharp flavor. $19.99/lb.  Try it with L’Epicurien’s black cherry confit to bring out the cherry-smoke flavors. $8.59.

And of course, an homage to the flavors of high summer couldn’t be complete without a few Rosés. Here are three favorites for the week!

2010 Domaine les Grands Bois “Cuvee le trois soeurs” Cotes du Rhone. $13.99

From Steve Tanzer: Bright, orange-tinged pink.  Raspberry and cherry aromas are complemented by notes of dried flowers and orange pith.  Broad and fleshy but surprisingly dry, with zesty citrus and red fruit flavors and a touch of anise.  Finishes with good cut and clarity, echoing the floral note.  This has the heft to work with rich foods but there’s no excess fat here.

2009 Clos Cibonne “Cuvee des Vignettes” Cotes de Provence. $27.99

This special and very limited cuvee comes from their oldest parcels which are over 70 years old and the wine is a bit more intense and full flavored than the younger vine bottling. It is 100% Tibouren and it’s also aged for a year in 500L foudres under the thin veil of flor. There is a tiny hint of oxidization in the wine as a result of the aging process, but the fruit is powerful and complex. If you think you’ve had all the great and interesting rosés in the world than it’s fairly safe to say your resume isn’t quite complete until you’ve tried this one!

Domaine Petit Sonnailler Vins de pays de Mediterranee. $9.99

 I took a bottle of this lovely rosé down to the beach to meet an old friend this week, and it really made the evening. It’s very light, almost white, but it has a zesty strawberry flavor. It’s a great price for what you get, and absolutely perfect for a warm summer day. Serve it with shellfish, or have it on its own as a zippy refreshment!

Well, that’s all for this week. I hope to see you all in the store, I’m really enjoying getting to know all of the wonderful regulars who stop by.

à plus tard!

Ellen

and

Steve Winston and Sharon Baden

Owners, Paris Grocery

P.S. The Calissons here (almond-melon-orange rind-sweets) are revolutionary. $.99

true abundance (and this is only half)! In this picture, we have Boska’s rotary cheese grater, electric raclette, tapas fondue set, box grater, hand grater, and a lovely cheese tool gift box.

Okay, let’s talk raclette for a moment. Of course, the French would come up multiple ways to enjoy hot molten cheese. Like fondue, raclette is a method heating and eating cheese that shares its origins in Switzerland and France. Meaning literally ‘scraped’ (cheese is heated on metal and scraped directly onto your plate), this is a fabulous way to enjoy any good melting cheese. Using the mini raclette set, it can be a fun table show, or using Boska’s cheese barbeclette, it can be a way to bring French flair to a summer barbeque.

Although it’s true that many different cheeses can be enjoyed a la raclette or fondue, the Paris Grocery has stepped it up to bring you two choices of the most classic French melting cheese: Comté, and Comté de Fruitiere.

Comté: a french Gruyère made with raw Montbeliard cow’s milk and aged for a minimum of one year. Fruity, nutty, and beefy, with a delicious saline sweetness on the finish. It’s the quintessential cheese for croque monsiour and French onion soup, but it’s also a traditional flavor melted with potatoes, jambon and cornichons!

Comté de Fruitiere: a raw cow’s milk cheese from Jura is aged five months. This gives it a delicious fruit nectar aroma and a more delicate nuttiness than more aged comté. Almost sweet and bursting with flavors of fresh milk and butter.

So come in and try a taste comparison, or take both home to melt!

Oh but of course, the wines.

2010 Les Perles “Piquepoul” Pays de l’hérault $7.99

Piquepoul means ‘lip stinger’ and this fresh, summery wine certainly delivers that- a zesty and fresh thirst quencher with a green apple and tropical fruit flavor. Enjoy it with some fresh shellfish from the market, or by itself as a refreshing early-evening drink. It’s a real catch at this price, so give it a try, we think you’ll be pleased.

2009 Chevalier du Moulin Bordeaux $10.99

This week’s brand new addition to our ‘Great Values under $13′ section, Chevalier du Moulin is a great bistro wine. With a red fruit start, baking spice flavors open up to a vanilla finish. One more reason we love it and want to share it with you this week- it pairs perfectly with our Comté!!

2009 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape $130.00

Next time you need a very special bottle, this could be it. The recipe is simple. The ingredients are great terroir, low yields, old vines, 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, Vaccarese, Counoise, Terret Noir, and 12-15 months in Foudre. The result is a seductive and forward wine with cherry on the nose, and notes of Moroccan spice. This should be a great drinking wine for the next 15+ years, and due to the extremely limited supply, we only have two bottles! So come on in and take one home, they might not be here for long. 92-95 points, Wine Advocate. 93-95 points, Stephen Tanzer.

Merci beaucoup for reading my first entry, and I’m excited to see you all soon in the shop!

Au revoir!

Ellen

and

Steve Winston and Sharon Baden

Owners, Paris Grocery