Discover the best wine store in France – in Calais!

You’re off on your summer hols, disembark from the train or the ferry in Calais and, for most holiday makers, you rush off towards sun-drenched south of France. But…  there’s a clever little detour that canny travellers know of — a stop in Calais that turns your journey into part of the holiday itself. Welcome to Calais, where your French adventure can begin not just with a croissant, but with some excellent wine, beer, and spirits to pop in your car boot – on the way to your holiday – as well as on the way home.

The best wine store in France (probably)…

For centuries, Calais has been the gateway to France for British travellers. The port city shaped by trade, war, and cultural exchange. Fiercely contested between England and France during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453), today it’s a place of easy crossings and warm welcomes.

In recent years, it has also become a savvy stop for wine lovers. With UK alcohol prices rising and duty structures shifting, a stop off in Calais offers the chance to buy exceptional wines at refreshingly down-to-earth prices at two wine superstores designed with travellers in mind.

At Calais Vins, near Calais port, you’ll quickly realise this isn’t your average wine shop – it’s a vast cave à vin (wine cellar) on a grand scale – in fact the biggest wine store in France and the best (probably). You’ll find everything here – there more than 4000 products in stock from elegant Chablis and zesty Sauvignon Blancs to easy-drinking reds, Champagne and of course, plenty of rosé for those long lunches that stretch into evening. For the serious wine buyer, the shelves carry rare estate bottles that UK merchants stock selectively and price at a premium: Whispering Angel, Guigal, Louis Latour, Joseph Drouhin, Grand Cru Château Talbot, Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Domaine Trapet, Marcel Deiss. “In fact, we are the closest wine shop to Britain for exceptional grape varieties” says — Jérôme Pont, manager of Calais Vins.

But it doesn’t stop at wine. There are spirits from across France and beyond including cognac, whisky, gin, and a cracking selection of beers too. And at Olivier Vins et Compagnie which is next to the Le Shuttle terminal you’ll also find an enormous selection of wines, beer, spirits plus a gourmet grocery store.  The same 4,000-reference catalogue, the same relaxed welcome — and the same pre-order system at wine-calais.co.uk if you’d like your bottles waiting for you on arrival.

How much can you actually bring back?

More than most people realise. UK customs allowances for alcohol brought back from France are generous enough for a proper shop. Here’s what each adult can bring home:

Beer: 42 litres per adult (roughly 74 pints)
Still wine: 18 litres per adult (24 standard 75 cl bottles)
Sparkling wine, port, fortified or drinks up to 22% ABV: 9 litres per adult (12 × 75 cl bottles — or split proportionally with spirits)
Spirits over 22% ABV: 4 litres per adult (5 standard 70 cl bottles)

The sparkling and spirits allowance works as a shared quota — so you can split it however you like, say 4.5 litres of Champagne and 2 litres of armagnac.

Prices, VAT refunds, and the real savings

Prices are often significantly lower than in the UK — and then there’s the VAT refund on top. Calais Vins and Olivier Vins have partnered with Global Blue and Skiptax to let British customers reclaim around 15% VAT on their purchases before boarding. The staff will walk you through it — it takes minutes.

“It was not the answer, to just give a ‘Gallic shrug’ to the new realities of Brexit. We are here to help our customers. So now we can give them a tax-free voucher that allows them to reclaim the VAT as soon as they embark in Calais. It is significant, there is around 15 percent VAT that can be reclaimed on purchases from Calais Vins” Olivier Vermisse, manager, Olivier Vins says.

There are two ways to claim:

Global Blue — collect your Tax-Free Form at the till, then scan the barcode at the PABLO kiosk in the ferry port building (after customs) or in the Eurotunnel passenger building. Done.

Skiptax — download the free app before you travel, scan your passport, scan your receipt in store, then scan the barcode at the departure terminal. The refund lands in your account within 48 hours.

Expert Advice with a Personal Touch

What makes the experience even richer is the team headed up by Jérôme at Calais Vins and Olivier at Olivier Vins. You’ll get excellent advice that’s practical, unpretentious, and tailored, whether you’re stocking up for a fortnight in the Dordogne or simply looking for something special to bring home. Jérôme’s team will guide you through the appellations, suggest food pairings, and point you towards bottles you simply won’t find at home.

Don’t overlook the beer — seriously

Here’s what most travellers miss entirely. The Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Hauts-de-France region has a sensational craft beer culture that never makes it onto UK supermarket shelves. Calais Vins and Olivier Vins carry beers from independent local breweries — brewed within an hour’s drive of the shop — that you simply cannot buy online or in Britain. This is one of the genuine discoveries of a Calais stop.

Among the breweries to look out for: Brasserie 3 Monts from Saint-Sylvestre-Capelle, whose 3 Monts is a benchmark bière de garde. Brasserie du Pays Flamand (Merville), with the award-winning Anosteke and Bracine. Brasserie Goudale (Arques), whose range runs from the accessible Goudale blonde to the hefty Belzebuth. Brasserie Castelain (Bénifontaine) with Ch’ti, the most emblematic beer of the Nord. And Brasserie du Détroit, based in Calais itself, brewing L’Ascette — about as local as it gets.

Further along the shelf: Christophe Noyon brasseur (Tardinghem) with the coastal-inspired 2 Caps, Blanche de Wissant, and Noire de Slacke; Brasserie du Goulot (Wimereux) and its bold La Baston; Brasserie Thiriez (Esquelbecq) with the traditional Blonde d’Esquelbecq and Rouge Flamande; Brasserie des 4 Écluses (Dunkerque) with La Cunette and Bastion 14; and Brasserie Saint Germain (Aix Noulette) whose Page 24 and Hildegarde have quietly built a following among French beer enthusiasts.

Ask at the tasting bar. The English-speaking team will navigate you through styles, strengths, and which ones travel best.

Perfect Draft fans — this one’s for you

If you’ve invested in a Perfect Draft home draught system — that clever Philips machine that chills a 6-litre pressurised keg to 2°C and pours pub-quality pints in your kitchen — then a stop at Calais Vins really is a must. The shop stocks a full range of Perfect Draft 6-litre kegs, and the savings compared to UK supermarket prices are, frankly, impressive.

Take Leffe Blonde: around £38.95 in UK supermarkets (2026), versus roughly €23.50 at Calais Vins — and once you’ve claimed your 15% VAT refund, that drops to the equivalent of about £17. That’s a saving of over £21 on a single keg. Stella Artois follows a similar pattern, saving you around £17 per keg after the refund. Even the premium options — Kwak, Goose Island IPA, Tripel Karmeliet — come in noticeably cheaper than at in the UK.

Each keg holds 6 litres, which works out at around 10.5 pints. At Calais Vins prices with the VAT refund applied, that puts your pint of Stella at roughly £1.79, and your Goose Island IPA at under £3. Not bad for a draught pour in your own kitchen.

And here’s the bit that makes the maths really work: under UK customs rules, your beer allowance is 42 litres per person — which is exactly 7 Perfect Draft kegs. Fill your quota, claim the VAT refund at the terminal, and you’re driving home with a seriously well-stocked beer fridge at a fraction of the UK price. You can even browse and pre-order the full keg selection online before you travel, so your order is ready to collect when you arrive.

While you’re there — cheese, bread, and the full French experience

Right next door to Calais Vins sits the legendary Philippe Olivier fromagerie — one of France’s most celebrated cheese affineurs — and a bakery. Wine, cheese, bread: all within a few metres of each other and minutes from the port. There are worse ways to start or end a holiday.

Calais Vins and Olivier Vins are open daily 09:00–19:00, Sundays and French bank holidays 10:00–13:00 and there’s easy and free parking in front of the shops

So this summer, when you pass through Calais with the promise of your holiday stretching ahead, don’t just drive on, stop off and stock up. And then on the way back, stop and stock again!

Find out more at the Calais Wine Superstore: calaiswine.co.uk

The post Discover the best wine store in France – in Calais! appeared first on The Good Life France.