Club Paris is a new natural bottle shop that moonlights as a wine and snack bar on the ever-busy Ossington strip.

Located next to all-day wine bar Paris Paris, it's a natural extension of the business for owners Jonathon Poon, Gani Shqueir, and Kelly Picao — the final form of what was once a wine subscription box called Paris Paris Club, offered during lockdowns.

Don't be fooled by the miniature store size — you'll find bottles upon bottles lined up on a brown tile ledge that runs through half the space. 

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The wines here rotate weekly and lean toward natural, sustainable, minimal-intervention options. On any given night, you'll find anywhere from 75 to 120 bottles stocked for your buying pleasure.

Keeping up with good taste, you'll also find ceramics, Sirius Glassworks glassware, magazines, and candles from Mmann atop the shop shelves.

In the evenings, you'll often find two communal tables filled with people sharing a glass under the warm glow of orange and red lights.

"Our tables are first come, first serve," explained shop manager Brianna Wiebe. That being said, there's always magic waiting to happen in such situations. "We've seen some beautiful friendships form over these tables."

There are five bottles to choose from if you're interested in a quick glass to start or end your day. A popular option is the flight ($27), which gets you a 1.5 oz. pour of each, accompanied by an explanation from one of the passionate team members.

"We look for wines with a story and want to make wines as approachable and educational as possible," Wiebe tells blogTO.

Our evening started with a cava from Biutiful that retails for $28 a bottle. A blend of Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarello grapes gives notes of toast, apple, and pear. It's a crisp and bone-dry apéritif.

This bottle of Bué vinho branco was produced in the Algarve region in Portugal. True to the region, it has a lovely salty profile in part from the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and mild climate.

Club Paris is the only place you'll find this wine in North America — they hold exclusive rights to serve it. 

Third on our flight was a special orange from the California-based Skull Wines ($58). Spending 30 days on skin, the grapes undergo a carbonic maceration that results in a juicy, salty, and spicy sip.

From the Catalan mountains of Spain was La Metamorphika ($68), which uses Trepa grapes native to the land. Bottled and aged in a clay amphoral that's wax-sealed, it's a light and dry wine you could compare to a pinot gris. 

The night finishes with a glass of Calosso from 2020 by Bussi Piero ($48). The Gamat Rossa Italian grapes, which nearly went extinct in the 1990s and were rediscovered just a decade ago, sit centre stage.

A full-bodied savoury wine, it has a peculiar odour that makes this one of the more unique wines available in the city.

Pair the flight with small plates from their snack menu which are meant to be shared. Slices of Blackbird bread ($5) with whipped butter are always a classic and simple choice.

There's also a selection of cheeses ($5) that comes with a burnt onion jam. I tried an aged Gouda from Amsterdam, as well as an Ossau-Iraty, a creamy block made from French sheep's milk.

The most interesting offering on the snack side are the Spicy Peanuts ($5). They come tossed with mouth-numbing Szechuan peppercorn and Thai chilies for a truly sensational experience. 

While people may initially be drawn to the intimate vibe of the small space, they seem to come back for the constantly rotating extensive list of unique wines.

"We offer some really unique wines by the glass so that people who are passionate about natural wine, or people who are just dipping their toes into the natural wine barrel, will have an equally exciting experience every time they come in," says Wiebe.

Club Paris is located at 146 Ossington Ave.