La Grand'Cave Au Clos Des Condamines

We had such a nice tasting, and the woman who welcomed us was lovely to chat with. A really warm greeting too. We’ll come back!

We left with boxes of sparkling wine to introduce our friends in eastern France to something we hadn’t known before. On May 19th, while staying in Bugey, we stopped by to buy some of the wine that made this village famous. The welcome in the cellar space was so warm, and the saleswoman gave us all the details we needed to choose. A tasting was a must, of course.

About 90% of the walnuts in the little bowl were inedible. I hadn’t asked for more, but after how unpleasant the woman was, I’d have been surprised if she’d offered any. She said they were unlimited, and that we’d had a large glass of wine, but I don’t remember that. We only wanted a taste, and she’d confirmed that tastings were what she offered. Instead, she charged us the price of a bottle for two glasses. We drank them on the terrace with those rotten walnuts. I won’t be back. Reply to the comment below: I don’t recall getting a large glass of wine. We just wanted a taste, and you confirmed you were only offering tastings.

We ended up buying several bottles after trying the sparkling wine. It was such a pleasant surprise on a Sunday evening: ring the bell, and they’ll open up and serve you with a smile. We were charmed.