At the heart of Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, the wine merchants open the doors of their glass cellars and share the bottles that make connoisseurs' hearts beat faster.
Beneath the glass roof of the belly of Lyon, wine holds pride of place. At Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, the wine merchants do far more than sell bottles: they tell the story of terroirs, pair a vintage with a Bresse poultry, and slip the perfect tip to a hurried gourmet. The glass cellar of Fac & Spera, created by Michel Chapoutier, immerses visitors in the subtle world of wine, right beside the finest market stalls.
A family house of the Rhône, M. Chapoutier has farmed its vines biodynamically since the early 1990s and holds one of the most celebrated track records in the world of wine criticism. From Ermitage to the Rhône Valley, by way of Burgundy and Champagne, the selection honours great terroirs without ever forgetting the gems of more confidential growers, both local and from afar.
Behind the counter, expertise makes all the difference. Trained to the highest level, sometimes alongside the finest sommeliers, the advisers know how to translate a customer's desire into the right bottle: a mineral white for the oysters on the neighbouring stand, a generous red for a hearty dish, a rare cuvée for a grand occasion.
Wandering from one wine merchant to another is like composing a meal as a musical score. Here wine converses with charcuterie, cheese and pastry, in the same pursuit of excellence. At Les Halles Paul Bocuse, every recommended bottle is an invitation to travel, carried by devotees who turn tasting into a Lyonnais art of living.