The wine hills of Saint-Émilion, on the eastern side of Bordeaux, France, might be miles away, but its steep cobbled alleys find an echo in Malabar Hill. A quiet sloping bylane off Walkeshwar Road, reminiscent of frames from hill station vacations, catches us off-guard. There, nestled behind a stone-walled façade, stands Les Bouchons, a new wine cellar helmed by wine expert Sanjay Menon, who was inspired by the French village. 

For Menon, who has been importing and distributing fine wines in India for nearly two decades, the 900-sq ft store and experience centre marks his foray into the retail space. “People sitting at home during the pandemic wanted to drink better, and they would reach out to us,” he recalls, adding, “So, we thought, ‘Why not do our own retail?’ I prefer to focus on engaging with the consumer to help them understand wines better.”