Marseille is the blue-framed portal to the Orient with a big heart for diversity. Anke Sademann shows us her best addresses for wine fans in the southern French harbour city: from simple to casual to sophisticated.
Marseille is the melting pot on the southernmost border of France and is bursting with energy, laissez-faire and a charming, albeit not exactly quiet, diversity. As European Capital of Culture 2013, France’s oldest and second largest city after Paris has developed into a hotspot for gastronomy and wine. In the process, the city has adopted some of the trends of other metropolises without losing its roughly brushed, but never smoothly combed identity. Its location, open to the world and the sea, blends influences from the Maghreb, Armenia, Italy and even Portugal to create a new, Mediterranean cuvée. Wine enjoyment has also become much more important in recent years.
Loyalty to the wines from the Rhône and Provence is strong here—and not just for the typical rosé. At the same time, people in the hot city like to cool off with mineral white wines from the Loire or flavoursome reds from nearby Corsica. Both go perfectly with tapenade with panisses, a paste made from olives, fried chickpea flatbread, seafood and grilled fish. Marseille’s most iconic wine addresses are located around the “Vieux Port”, the old harbour. This is where our wine flight starts. Often with double the pleasure: at “Les Lumières”, for example, there is also an excellent espresso before the first sip of natural wine. The light-flooded restaurant is a café, bistro and wine bar all in one.
Wine between land and sea
From the harbour promenade, the route leads through the Noailles and Saint-Victor districts and the oldest artisan quarter, Le Panier, up to the sloping Canebière shopping mile and then along the Corniche waterfront. The artists’ and market district of Cours Julien is considered one of the most relaxed neighbourhoods in the city. At the very top, the Notre-Dame de la Garde pilgrimage basilica, which towers above everything else, offers a magnificent panoramic view.
In culinary terms, Marseille oscillates between land and sea: the flavour of the Mediterranean lies in its sophisticated simplicity. The selection ranges from tapas and street food to fresh organic market cuisine, new sandwich creations and inexpensive fish soup to the culinary landmark: bouillabaisse. Wine fans can satisfy their curiosity in the many new wine locations. Many specialised wine shops, hip mini wine bars scattered around the city and wine-loving restaurants offer enjoyment with a lot of creativity and personality. It’s not just the wines that are unfiltered and very casual, but also the atmosphere.
The best wine tips in Marseille
Make wine. Drink wine. Meet the winemakers
114 Bd de la Corderie, 13007 Marseille
Neighbourhood: Saint-Victor, near Vieux-Port
Tue to Sat 7pm – 1am
L’Abri not only serves organic natural wine and craft beer made from grape must, but also produces it. In a former ropery, city winegrower Franck Pasquier processes his grapes from the nearby Aix-en-Provence appellation and works with winegrowers from all over France. The “Chai urbain” produces spontaneously fermented wines that mature in stainless steel and amphorae. The white cuvées flow into the glass unclarified and unfiltered, with a dry and mineral flavour. The red wines are light and fruity. In the dining room and on the terrace, restaurant manager Xuân Iam and head chef Pierre Meynet cultivate the triad of savoir-vivre à la marseillaise: urban vinification, casual coastal cuisine with the Ecotable seal and warm conviviality. Not forgetting the impressive view into Franck’s glass wine workshop.
(Certainly not) the last sip
59 rue Grignan, 13006 Marseille
Neighbourhood: close to the Vieux Port
Tue – Fri 10am – 8pm, Sat 10am – 7pm
Lunch: Mon to Fri 12 – 2 pm
The “Chicoulon” is the perfect last sip of wine after dinner. Édouard Mireur took the name from his grandmother and offers around 800 “wines of the heart” in his shop—mainly from France, but also from Italy and Austria. Only wines that he himself likes are put on the shelves, regardless of whether they are conventional, organic or natural. Once a month, the focus is on a winegrower whose wines Mireur presents with tastings. On weekdays, chef Leo Bireaud serves a daily changing three-course menu made from local, seasonal produce in the covered courtyard at lunchtime.
Natural wine, precisely chilled
47 Rue d’Endoume, 13007 Marseille
Neighbourhood: Saint-Victor / Endoume
Wed – Fri 5pm – 11pm, Sat and Sun 10.30am – 12.30pm, 5pm – 11pm
The former sommelier Nominoé Guillebot has already worked in Paris and London. She now exclusively serves natural wines in her small “Cave & Dégustation”: Mini cuvées, old vines and forgotten varieties directly from small vineyards without middlemen. Thanks to strict temperature control in the walk-in wine cabinet and refrigerated transport, the sensitive wines are served just as the winegrowers expect them to be. Many wines are also available by the glass at fair prices. Nominoé also serves casual plates to share or, on request, pizza from the bar next door. A small enclave of casual enjoyment in a bustling neighbourhood.
Market on a plate, wine in dialogue
50 Cours Julien, 13006 Marseille
Neighbourhood: Cours Julien
Tue to Sat 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 6 p.m. to midnight
For eleven years, Togo-born Gérard Habib has been cooking in a former banana warehouse in the artists’ quarter of Cours Julien. The 2,600 square metre space of Marseille’s former national market once brought produce from France, Nantes and the Maghreb to the city. Today, Gérard reflects this multicultural flair in his cuisine. Together with restaurateur Hélène Morisset, he celebrates radically fresh market cuisine. The flavours of the organic weekly market are brought to the plate: the direct contact to small winegrowers makes it possible to pair the dishes with regional wines. Here, Provence and Rhône come into the glass with plenty of organic and biodynamic flavours. Out of personal nostalgia, Bordeaux is also on the wine list, and natural wines are served with sensitivity. The wine cellar also serves as a gallery and cultural centre with themed tours and wine workshops.
Culinary craftsmanship and unerring wines
2 rue Vauvenargues, 13007 Marseille
Neighbourhood: Jardin des Colonnes, Puget Hill
Mon – Fri noon to evening
Five years ago, Sépia opened in the Jardin des Colonnes on the site of a former snack bar overlooking the bay of Marseille. Chefs Paul Langlère and Xavier Sabata serve “entre terre et mer”: seasonal and sauce-rich dishes such as stuffed squid, maigre with coconut, shiitake and lemon broth and lamb shoulder rolls. Sommelier Antoni Audron holds the wine compass: Provence, Rhône, Corsica, Loire, selectively Italy, Catalonia, and Austria. Many wines are offered by the glass and are matched to the dishes. It is a place where culinary craftsmanship, good wine and the spectacular view over the stony city sea to the blue horizon come together.
Bouillabaisse with a view of the “Bonne Mère”
12, Quai du Port, 13002 Marseille
Neighbourhood: Vieux Port
Tue to Sun 12 – 14.30, 19 to 22.30
Le Miramar has been an institution on the Old Harbour since 1965. The highly decorated chef Christian Buffa serves the “true” bouillabaisse in two acts: First comes the saffron fish soup with garlic croutons and rouille sauce, then rockfish and noble fish are filleted at the table and served with potatoes. This is how a simple fish dish became the Queen of Marseille—cult and craftsmanship in perfection. The wine list includes over 300 wines, with a focus on Provence and the Rhône. A classic that epitomises Marseille in the glass and on the plate.
Provence in a sandwich
5, Rue de la Tour in 13001 Marseille
Neighbourhood: Opéra/Vieux-Port
Mon to Sat 11 am to 5 pm
At “Pain à l’Ail”, Linda and Hervé Vila Palleja, an energetic couple with Tunisian-Catalan roots, put Provençal classics in a baguette. There are three fixed and changing sandwich creations on the menu: “Aïoli” with fish of the day such as cod, served with garlic sauce and potatoes, “Daube” with beef and polenta and “Bouillabaisse” as a street food sandwich. The price-performance ratio is excellent, the ingredients are strictly local, very fresh and served in a friendly manner. It is accompanied by uncomplicated Provence wines by the glass—street food with a heart, including organic Provence wines that are perfect every day. The sandwiches are available to take away or directly in the lively little shop and on the terrace in a side street. Approachable, honest, typically Marseille with a clear selection.
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