Style, culture, art, music, and a global adventure through wine are just a few things wine connoisseurs and beginners alike can look forward to when taking a trip to C’est Le Vin. Located in Shockoe Bottom, C’est Le Vin meaning that’s wine is quickly becoming the go to spot for many people searching for a new and relaxing experience in the Richmond area.
Offering a variety of wines from places such as Italy, France, Germany, Uruguay, Lebanon, and more, C’est Le Vin is aiming to please, allowing any bottle to be opened for an affordable price. Owners Ghermay and Genet make it their business to make sure each person that walks through the door leaves wanting to come back. The comfortable layout and the relaxing sounds that fill the building provides the perfect social environment for customers and artist to converse over wine.
Although wine is a very important factor at C’est Le Vin, art also plays an equally important role in the daily activities the owners offer and plan for the community. Participating in local events such as the 1st Friday Art Walk, C’est Le Vin works with other Shockoe Bottom businesses to help host various exhibitions in Shockoe Bottom. When speaking with Ghermany he explained that, “the businesses and restaurants on our block and around the open air market complement and promote beautifully each other.”
With art perfectly complementing wine according to Genet, the wine bar also host up and coming local artist and talent. Recently C’est Le Vin featured “AF.RUI.KA: The Primal Source,” art by international Eritrean Artist Elsa Gebreyesus. This is very exciting for the wine shop because Gebreyesus work has been featured in national and international exhibitions, with C’est Le Vin being her first exhibit in the Richmond area.
When the owners aren’t busy hosting world-class artist or local talent, you can typically find them starting their day with a freshly brewed latte or cappuccino. They spend their day personally sampling wines from local, national, and worldwide distributors, making sure they offer nothing but the best wines to customers. During the lunch hour, the newly added chef can be found cooking up a variety of dishes ranging from sizzling “Beacon Wrapped Dates” to the perfectly flavored “Lemon Chicken On A Skewer”. Most nights at the wine bar end with a daily wine tasting of house wines except on Fridays and Saturdays when they offer a special tasting.
Just opening in May of 2010, C’est Le Vin has already gained recognition from the City of Richmond and the current Mayor. C’est Le Vin owners both firmly believe that the Shockoe Bottom is becoming a destination in its own right and their business fits perfectly into the culture that is looking for an alternative. Being such new comers in the Richmond area wine and bar business, their main goal is, “To turn all Richmondians into wine connoisseurs”.
Although their goal may seem a bit ambitious to others, C’est Le Vin has what it takes to become a permanent fixture in Richmond lifestyle and culture. For more information about daily events, activities, art exhibitions and wines tasting, feel free to just stop by C’est Le Vin.