In the 20+ years she's lived in Paris's 11^th, Alice has never been without a little local wine bar, somewhere she goes for the pleasure of having a drink with her girlfriends. But now, it's almost an obligation: "I feel like it's the only thing there is, on every street corner! It's like there's a new one opening every week." And there's another one, just around the corner, the Fitzcaraldo. It's the latest addition to the Chambre Noire family of 100% hip, minimalist establishments, part-wine shop, part-bar, that are sprouting up all over the northeast quarter of Paris.

On the last Friday evening of August, Milan, a 44-year-old architect, found himself there somewhat by chance with his "buddies" over a bottle of "pet nat" (natural sparkling wine), because the wine bar next door was already "packed." Paloma and Euphrasie, freelance photographers in their 30s, had come for the "lounge atmosphere, where everyone talks to everyone." To tell the truth, they hadn't even really thought about it: "These days, everyone goes out to wine bars, don't they?"

It's increasingly the case in large city centers, where wine bars are enjoying a boom, as well as in wine-growing areas, where they are part of a more traditional wine tourism offering. How many are there in the country? It's impossible to know, given the lack of an official census. A study published in July by the Businesscoot agency highlighted "impressive growth between 2010 and 2020" and put the figure at 2000 across France (compared with 500 in 2005), but the figures remain uncertain due to the fragmentation of the market, essentially made up of small independent players, who are often economically vulnerable. When questioned, UMIH, the employers' organization representing the hotel and catering sector, simply referred to the number of drinking establishments (35,000 in France), which include cafés, bars and clubs.

Accompanied by snacks

Wine bars are not that easy to define: "What distinguishes a wine bar from a bar serving wine?" asked "bistrology" journalist Pierrick Bourgault. At the very least, it's a wide range of wines, served by the glass, and which can be accompanied by snacks (unlike a wine shop), and often a passionate owner. As for the rest, there's something for every palate and every mood: There are wine bars where you stand up next to a barrel, wine shops serving meals, and "enotecas," specializing in Burgundies or Georgian wines. There are those that serve wine on tap, and those that uncork great vintages; those that play hip-hop, and those where people bring dates; those that compete with Berlin style decor, and those that partner with an ice-cream parlor or taqueria; those that have a liquor license, and those that don't. In fact, there are about as many as there are owners.

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