The Insider: Frenchie’s Sommelier Laura Vidal

Frenchie’s Laura Vidal left the financial world of Montreal behind to become one of only a handful of female sommeliers in Paris.

From day one at Frenchie, she’s injected a fresh energy into the dining room, revamped the wine list and let me tell ya’, the words “sit still” aren’t in her vocabulary. She spends each free moment traveling any and all days off to meet winemakers in European vineyards – including a recent two-day tasting trip with Kermit Lynch himself. Emails from Laura hit my inbox at 6 am from the train on her way to Chablis, Champagne and Piedmont, etc. Male chefs and restaurateurs all over the city are flashing big thumbs up telling me that “Laura over at Frenchie is the top!” Quite the feat to impress in a male-dominated food and wine culture.

The list at Frenchie is tightly edited and yet, changes frequently since she deals with the winemakers directly on a first-name basis and falls in love with new wines every day.

She says the best part of her job is the sharing with wine makers, “Learning how they make the wine, what they’ve sacrificed, what they’ve had to go up against, and the choices they made and why and more importantly, their vision of wine and their appreciation of their yearly productions.” Then, there’s sharing that passion with the customers and helping them understand that “behind the label is someone who has worked very hard, someone with a story and a voice. “

Forced to choose one favorite wine region in the world is impossible for her, but she admits, “I am in a serious relationship with Burgundy while entertaining a secret love affair with Piémont, Italy.”

Why is Laura drawn to and so passionate about wine? She answers without batting an eyelash, “It has so many facets – it’s about people, hedonism, geography, geology, history and sharing. I love the fact it’s never the end of the learning process and you can always find humility in a blind tasting.”

From the one place where she could eat and drink all day on Sundays to where she shops for wine, Laura takes us on a local’s foodie tour of her top ten favorite addresses in the city she loves.

Laura Vidal’s Paris

View Laura Vidal’s Paris in a larger map

I could spend all Sunday on the Quai de Seine eating briny oursins (sea urchins) from the  Poissonnerie Soguesa on the rue Montorgueuil. All you need is scissors and a little spoon. That, with a bottle of Alice et Olivier de Moor’s (Chablis) Aligoté “Réversibilité” 2009.

Having wine with the skewer of seared foie gras with roasted red peppers at L’Avant Comptoir in the 6^th arr. Its very discussion friendly and I meet people from all walks of life. I also feel close to Eric & Thomas behind the bar… they are serious food and wine lovers as well as true connoisseurs.

The all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch downstairs or have pizza and beer on the roof of the Mama Shelter Hotel. It reminds me of Montreal, where we used to have a lot of roof top bars and terraces. Nothing beats the panorama of Paris and feeling of being up high closer to the sun with a good beer and pizza. What more can you ask for?

The wine shops Caves Augé in the 9^th and the Caves du Forum out in Reims (Champagne) are two of my favorite places to browse for wine. Caves augé has an enormous natural wine selection and they are specialised in a lot of eau de vie and the Caves du Forum has a passion for Pinot Noir and has imported exclusively some incredible wines from New Zealand and Oregon.

My Favorite wine glass is the ouverture by Riedel with a fine rim and very light.

I love the lunch ambiance at Rino’s and the Italian natural wines selected by sommelière Francesca.

I enjoy Mon Vieil Ami on the Ile St Louis because its open Sunday, the portions are generous and the wine list by Adrien Boulok is amazing. He has a great way with finding little unknown producers that work really well.

Drinks at the Expérimental Cocktail Club is a delicious way to relax after busy Friday night shifts – the best cocktail there is “Curiosité” with gin, lemon and cucumbers made by Mika the barman extraordinaire!

Yam’Tcha for the food, tea pairings and the amazing wine list by the sommelière Sarah. The tea pairing is a fascinating eye opener to how drinks and food are made for each other and really come from the same place (the earth) and the wine list features wines chosen specifically adapted to the food there – especially the delicate Viognier from northern Rhône for the ceviche with vanilla mousse.

My new favorite restaurant is Septime, everything breathes high-end in a very relaxed décor with my favorite Riedel glassware and nice seasonal menus.

Tags: Alice and Olivier de Moor, Caves Augé, Caves du Forum, experimental cocktail club, frenchie, l'avant comptoir, Mama Shelter Hotel, Mon Vieil Ami, Poissonnerie Soguesa, Riedel, Rino Paris, Septime, Yam'tcha