• What is the origin of L'Ecluse?

  In 1950, L'Ecluse was the famous cabaret club on the "Quai des Grands Augustins", where numerous artists, such as Barbara and Jacques Brel launched their careers.

  In 1978, the cabaret club became a wine bar under our trademark. Since 1995, L'Ecluse has been under the management of Dominique Dhyser and today there are 5 in total, all of which are situated in the heart of Paris.

• What is a wine bar?

  Wine bars started out as cabaret clubs. These were meeting places where the different social classes rubbed shoulders with each other, where people came to dine, to be entertained and to mix.

  Today, the wine bar is a friendly restaurant where customers can come along at any time of the day and try one of our regional specialities and excellent wines that can be served either by the glass or bottle.

• Why are only Bordeaux wines served at L'Ecluse?

  The 57 recognised appellations (AOCs) and the diversity of the vintages meet a wide range of tastes and pleasures.

  A Bordeaux chateau is a unique wine with lasting flavour and for us it is a guarantee of quality.

  Lastly, 70% of consumers prefer Bordeaux wines.

• What is Bordeaux Light Red Wine?

  It's a "bled rosé": the harvest is destalked, crushed, then put into vats in the same way as red wine.

  After about 12 hours of maceration, the vat is "bled" by removing a volume of juice of up to 12 to 25% of the maceration vat's total volume. This juice, which is a more intense pink colour (or light red if the maceration has been longer) and containing tannins, is then converted into wine in the same way as a red wine.

• What are the best vintage years of the 1990s and 2000's?

  1990, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005.

  However, the vintage year is not the only factor that should be taken into consideration when making your choice. Indeed, as wine producers are very attentive to the quality of their wine, some of them achieve great successes even during difficult years. Tasting is the only way to discover such finds.

• Is it possible to find the wines served in the restaurant in "My Boutique"?

  Yes, as the wine list is changed every six months or so, our customers appreciate having the opportunity to order wines they have enjoyed...at shop prices, of course.

• How do you preserve wines served by the glass?

  In each of our wine bars, we have a device called a "cruover". It allows the bottles to be preserved, by means of neutral gas, at serving temperature (around 18° for the Bordeaux reds and 10° for the whites) to prevent any oxidisation of the wine. However, despite this, bottles are consumed within 24 hours after they have been opened.

• Why is wine served in large glasses?

  The bigger the volume of the glass, the easier it is to "turn" the wine in it in order to release the aromas, thus allowing us to appreciate the wine's nose and to fully benefit from tasting it.

• Where can I buy the L'Ecluse glasses?

  At "My Boutique", 1 Rue d'Armaillé in the 17th district of Paris (very close to the L'Ecluse Carnot). There you will find other original items under the L'Ecluse brand.

• Is L'Ecluse open every day?

  Yes, the L'Ecluse restaurants are open 7 days a week. The A la carte dishes and wines offered can be enjoyed from 8.30 a.m. until 1.00 in the morning.

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