Boire – Collingwood

Date: Friday 8th January - 2010

Restaurant: Boire – Collingwood

Address: 92 Smith Street Collingwood

Phone: None - no bookings

Commentary : Sarah Andrew

BOIRE (French for "to drink") is a wine bar where you can choose from two entrées, two mains and two desserts, cooked in a peasant French style. Chef Arna McCabe selects local, fresh organic produce to dictate a seasonal menu in which free range organic meats are served, and traditional pates are prepared in-house.

The wines are mainly French with some boutique Australian and New Zealand wines. No bookings are taken, so hence there is no phone number. The venue is open from Wednesday – Sunday, 5pm – 11pm and has been busy since opening mid last year.

This venue joins a number of others on Smith Street that have a tight focus and unique style, and I am sure owner Catherine Chauchat is striving to be known as unique. Coming from a wine background in France, Catherine has spent more than a decade in Australia within the food and wine industry. She successfully launched Boire mid last year, and the last 9 months have been so positive that the doors will close from the 17th January until the beginning of March, to enable Catherine a trip back to France to visit family and the wineries she imports.

Last Friday was one of those unpleasant hot days / nights, so my appetite was not huge. I was dining with a friend so we opted for just a main and we each chose one so we could share. I imagine this must be a common thing because both meals were served along with two fresh plates to facilitate sharing. On the menu was:

  • Salt bush lamb stew with tomato red capsicum carrot spring onion potatoes & parsley
  • Roasted zucchini topped with feta, hazelnut, pumpkin seeds with haricot beans, lentils, celery & leek

All the wine from France is imported exclusively to Boire, so I was eager to explore the wines by the glass. Luckily my companion was keen to do the same so by default my selection doubled!

Wine we thoroughly enjoyed in order by the glass included:

Bonnet-Huteau Château La Tarcière Muscadet Sèvre Maine “Sur Lie” 2008 (Loire)

Marionnet Henry Domaine De La Charmoise Touraine Vinifera Sauvignon 2006 (Loire)

Picamelot, Cremont de Bourgogne Sparkling Rose NV (Burgundy)

Marionnet Henry Domaine De La Charmoise Touraine Gamay Rose 2007 (Loire)

Domaine Louis Chenu Savigny-les-Beaune 2006 (Burgundy)

Miquel Laurent Château Cazal Viel St Chinian Les Larmes des Fées 2005 (Languedoc-Roussillon)

The food was perfect for our mood and appetite. The wine selection was a real treat, and reminded me how restraint and elegance in wine can deliver such a wonderful experience. To get the most out of Boire you need to take it as it comes; sit back, relax and take your time. Sometimes the simplest things in life deliver unexpected pleasures.