Wines and spirits Ille-Et-Vilaine

Antoine Picaud's wine cellar boasts more than 1,000 references: small, affordable wines from friends and exceptional bottles, with a vast range of magnums (most of them organic), local beers, spirits, notably with bottles produced in Brittany (gin is well represented...) and a grocery corner to liven up the aperitif. Visitors come especially for the expert advice of Antoine, an inveterate enthusiast. The tasting workshops allow you to explore a whole wine-growing valley over the course of an evening, drinking a wealth of highly interesting information, washed down with 5 or 6 different wines... and accompanied by charcuterie and cheese boards.

After a spell at Place du Champ Jacquet, aRHUMatisé returned to the port on Rue Victor Hugo to concentrate on its rum and spirits cellar. The cellar offers around 150 references, including agricultural rums from independent, eco-responsible distilleries in the West Indies, Jamaica, South America and England. The cellar's owner, Yannick, a passionate pedagogue, organizes tasting workshops on the first Wednesday of every month, offering the opportunity to discover exceptional rums. It's a fun way to learn more about their history, production processes and, last but not least, how to taste and enjoy them. 100% approved!

This microbrewery with a warm and family atmosphere has taken up residence in the heart of the old town. Three atmospheres make up the premises: the "workshop" where the beers are produced, the "bistro" where you can taste them, and the store where you can buy them as well as various other local products or even beer water, beer vinegars or beer preserves. Crack open the Port-Malo, a light blonde and the Saint-Malo, a golden beer.

Epicureans have found their favorite place to treat their taste buds and those of their loved ones. The store offers a selection of top-of-the-range food products: mature cheeses, Bordier butters, Italian charcuterie, antipasti, chocolates... There are also 470 wine references, including prestigious varietals, thirst-quenching wines and organic wines. On the spirits side, a fine selection of agricultural and arranged rums, world whiskies and other liqueurs are sure to please. And don't forget the aperitif platters and irresistible gift boxes.

Alice, the manager, and Marie welcome us to this cellar on the pretty cobbled rue de la Monnaie. Run by a former airline pilot, the store has recently been given a facelift. Drenched in pastel green, terra cotta and Mediterranean blue tones, the intimate setting exudes conviviality. Here, you'll find a natural and biodynamic wine cellar and a grocery corner. You'll spot Laura David's Loire wines, ciders and perries from L'Aubinière in Janzé... and even a surprising blend of white, rosé and red for aperitifs that's all the rage: Gilles Troullier's Guerilleros. The two women also offer tasting sessions, notably on Wednesday evenings.

Choice, tempting drinks, all accompanied by a friendly welcome, we're hooked! It's the perfect place to treat yourself and others. You'll hit the nail on the head with the food and wine pairing tips, which give diners that extra something and even enrich conversations. The tasting workshops are top-notch, and it's a great place to discover rum and wine. As you can see, this address is full of finds that will enrich your day-to-day good times! What's more, previews, private sales and group tasting evenings will keep you coming back for more.

Mathieu is an independent wine merchant who knows how to find you good little bottles off the beaten track. This nice cellar in Saint-Lunaire offers a nice selection of wines, champagne and spirits. The reception is very professional and Mathieu takes the time to listen and to guide the faithful customers as well as those of passage. We really appreciate this small cellar which has all the features of a big one, and the kindness of the reception. A refrigerated cellar allows you to take bottles at the right temperature for immediate tasting.

If Coin Mousse is a beer bar, it's also a beer cellar. Some 120 French craft beers are on offer. After visiting some sixty brewers in France, Nicolas and Anne-So brought back their hand-picked selection. Among the Breton breweries are Tri Martolod, Touken, Menez ar Breizh and Skumenn. We'll tell you which ones we prefer, but the best thing to do is go and taste them, and make your own selection for your next aperitif. Gourmets can share a board, or stop off on the way back from the Lices or Mail markets to pick up a beverage to accompany their find.

It will soon be 10 years since the Skumenn ("Écume" in Breton) craft brewery began supplying the people of Rennes with its aromatic, organic beers. What a journey it's been since childhood friends Thomas Cléraux and Stéphane Le Boucher were brewing in their garage! The Brewpub, with its direct view over the large vats of the production workshop, is a great place to come for an afterwork, to listen to a punk concert or Irish music. The atmosphere is warm and inviting: antique furniture, velvet banquettes, rugs on the floor with an indus' spirit that we love. And of course, we come to buy our favorite beers direct, packaged in bottles, cans or growlers.

When two beer-loving friends decided to make a living from their passion, the result was Dourennan: a craft beer cellar on Rue Victor Hugo. More than 150 references are on offer, from local and regional breweries as well as from Belgium and elsewhere. Dourennan means "to hydrate, to salivate" in Breton. The establishment lives up to its name, with the two partners enthusiastically passing on their taste for hops. And because there's no substitute for tasting, a dedicated space is available for afterworks and workshops. We enjoy our beers, accompanied by charcuterie and vegetarian spreads. Not forgetting, of course, a selection to take away with you!

" I created my cider in 1983, I was 31 years old, at a time when nobody - except me - believed our drink had a future ". Fine omen! 30 years later, Loïc Berthelot proudly rap his success and his artisan cider, the Cellier Wood cellar. Its «pure juice» cider is developed according to traditional methods with the best fruits cultivated and harvested by its 115 suppliers in the small orchards around. Loïc has not forgotten that Ille-et-Vilaine is the cradle of Breton cider, and it is a wonderful tribute to perpetuate ancestral know-how. We no longer count the medals gleaned over the years in the competition of the cider of Brittany. Silver and bronze have repeatedly earned passion, the art of work well done and respect for the land. If you have the chance to meet him, you'll see, it's still a character, that Loïc. He will tell you the apple varieties: Bedan, Small sweet, By, Sweet onions, Frequin, Damelot, long foot… names that sing and blend to give this cider of cru to the scents of the pool. Crude (solid, a slightly rustic), fruity (end, elegant with a small point of acidity), half-dry (round in mouth, sweet and generous). Good news… Succession is assured. Berthelot Berthelot, 26 years old, is ready to take over the torch. Yec'hed mat!

The oldest orchard on this cider farm, located 15 kilometers from Rennes, dates back to 1946. A visit to the store is an opportunity to learn about the history of the Val de Chèvre farm, named after the nearby river. Régis Tropée has been running his organic orchards here since 2007. He produces cidre bouché, apple juice, pommé (a local specialty resembling apple jam) and homemade creations such as Stumm Breizh and Glizh mead. For the past few years, Régis has been offering deliveries... by bike in Rennes!

Stéphane Foucher, sommelier, has, in addition to his address in Les Lices, a second cellar in rue de Nemours. We come here for Stéphane or Mathieu's sharp advice but also to discover a selection of 900 to 1,200 references of organic, biodynamic and natural wines! There is something for every budget, with a very promising entry-level price that is accessible to small budgets. In this cellar, small producers are in the spotlight and you will taste with delight the work on the grape varieties. The winery knows how to look for and find the right bottle at the different exhibitions but also directly by going to the winegrowers (45,000 km per year travelled to meet them). You will find a good selection of small Languedoc wines, which are well worth some Bordeaux in value for money. There are also some surprising vintages and creative "coups de coeur" that the cellar master speaks of with passion. You can also take your taste buds on a trip with foreign wines from Italy, Spain, Greece, Georgia, Austria but also wines from the New World (including Chile and Argentina). For those who would like to perfect their oenological knowledge, things become more serious during the tastings hosted by the cellar master, twice a month. Also to be discovered are 200 references of whiskys, rums and brandies, a selection of 60 beers and a few ciders from Brittany and Normandy. A cellar that assures you the advice of a professional with a warm welcome so as not to make any false notes and to offer you good tasting moments.

A paradise for Breton beer lovers! Among the many references, we stop at the Grodziskie, a smoked white beer that is a nod to the Polish origins of Tony, the boss. In addition to the hopped beverage, there is local cider as well as some nuggets such as Ar Menez Are, an organic lemonade with Mont d'Arrée spring water, Beuk Cola ("Beuk" means "burp" in Breton, if you want to know everything!), an organic fair trade cola, Roc'Elf Breton whisky from the Sainte-Colombe brewery or red absinthe from the Awen Nature distillery.

The Place de la Rotonde is a den of epicureans, eager for small authentic addresses. Among these, the Pif en l'air is a cellar that we love. To choose among the 500 references, between 2-3 rock titles that pulsate in the Marshall speaker, you can count on Patrice. His wine cellar is full of natural, organic and biodynamic wines. He also has some exclusive Rennes products such as beer from the Ile de Groix brewery GX, whose barley is grown on the island. You will also find a nice assortment of gourmet products.

Three generations have succeeded one another in bringing this family-run cider mill, founded in 1952, to life. This 100% Breton cider has often won awards at the Concours Général Agricole de Paris and other regional competitions. On site, the team is passionate about its work, and you'll find a wide range of regional products, as well as traditional tableware. A multimedia exhibition hall retraces the history of the family cider house, with a video on the cider-making profession. Free admission, free tasting, picnic and play areas. A great time.

Bright with its large bay windows overlooking the Mall, mineral with its counter made of black Huelgoat rock and its engraved monolith, Fabien and Alex's wine cellar exudes naturalness and authenticity. It's not for nothing that 85% of the wines here are biodynamic and sourced directly from independent winemakers. The two friends have made four trips around France to select more than 250 wine references, and they'll be going back again! A little literary wink: a bookseller's ladder gives access to the highest bottles, because there are literally bottles from floor to ceiling! In addition to the wines, there is a nice selection of beers from here and elsewhere, including more confidential breweries that Alex discovered during his years in London and New Zealand. Gins, whiskies, vodkas, rums and ports are also on offer. To accompany these beverages, you can choose from cheeses matured in Brittany (Ma Belle Fromagerie in Étrelles), fish rillettes from Finistère or organic sausages and pâtés. A good idea: tasting evenings to exercise your palate in a friendly atmosphere.

This cellar, located 200 m from the ferry terminal and 500 m from the city center, offers a wide choice of wines direct from the estates, at very competitive prices, as well as a fine selection of beers, especially Breton beers. For your receptions, banquets and weddings, the Cave d'Aleth team will be able to advise you judiciously in your choice of wines (bottles or bag-in-boxes with the loan of barrels) according to your menu and budget. The clever Cave d'Aleth offers a free delivery service and beer taps for hire. It also offers a wholesale service with weekly deliveries to the region's catering professionals.

Behind Kystin lies a passionate man, Sasha Crommar, who has one conviction: exceptional ciders and perries exist, you just have to put your heart into them. After working for some fifteen years as a cellar master, the man founded the Kystin house, first with a boutique in Vannes, then in Rennes. Here, we're treated to tastings of the company's creations, such as the surprisingly delicious PDO chestnut cider or the roasted buckwheat cider. The house also offers its ice cider, a sweet delight that works equally well as an aperitif or dessert. All original creations can be combined with a wide range of dishes. It's hard not to fall for them!

This microbrewery has been making and selling 100% Breton beers since 2015. Here you'll find typical 100% local beers, made with traditional know-how. Be it Aldeta white, Télès blonde, Pylone red, Bag Noz brown, Maclow star anise blond, Semper Fidelis abbey-style triple golden ale or Dead man's friend rum amber ale. Not forgetting Berry Bliss with red fruits and a few other surprises. We love the warm welcome, the passionate team and the quality of the beers. A good address that we recommend.