Belleville is a French word that translates to “beautiful town.” This is what Nico Gourdon named his wine bar as a tribute to Reno, a city he views as his “belleville” because of the people, the mountains and the lifestyle of the West.
“I wanted to create a European lifestyle experience,” Gourdon said.
When he moved to Reno six years ago, he fell in love with the town but noticed a lack of quality lifestyle dining options. “Where do people go to eat—you know, outside of the casinos and Taco Bell and places like that?” he asked. He said he did not mean to insult Reno or its people—but he did want to share a new level of sophistication with his new town.
Gourdon, originally from Provence, France, has worked all over the world, always perfecting his food, beverage and hospitality skills. He worked at the prestigious Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland and a Michelin-star restaurant in Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, Gourdon and friend/collaborator Benoit Rablat—the celebrated restauranteur and a fellow Frenchman—dreamed of a place like Belleville.
“Benoit and I were roommates in L.A.,” Gourdon said. “He now owns a couple of restaurants in Miami with his wife, Sandy. Benoit helped with the menu, which is based mostly on home cooking, and Sandy helped design the space.”
The décor touches include rich colors, textures and bluebirds. “These are the blue mountain birds found in Lake Tahoe, and in the spring, they come and visit on the patio; it is a very Miami thing,” said Gourdon.
Belleville’s bird prints are custom art pieces in which the birds have zebra patterns on their legs, leopard patterns on their beaks, and a sagebrush flower crown—a nod to the state flower of Nevada.
“(Reno) is so masculine, and we know it’s a cowboy town,” Gourdon said, explaining the decorating scheme. “I want Belleville to be somewhere where people, specifically women, can come by themselves and feel safe.” He said that about 80% of his customers are women.
“(Reno) is so masculine, and we know it’s a cowboy town,” Gourdon said, explaining the decorating scheme. “I want Belleville to be somewhere where people, specifically women, can come by themselves and feel safe.” He said that about 80% of his customers are women.
Many of the items are based on family recipes, and all of them have been designed to provide an experience similar to that of a wine bar in Paris, Milan London, or somewhere close to Gourdon’s heart—Provence. Items range from homemade black-olive tapenade to Alaskan king crab legs. Want a cheese plate or charcuterie board? Got it. Desserts? Belleville has you covered, from chocolate truffles to French apple tarts. The dishes are small plates—large enough to share, yet small enough not to overfill you. They are designed so you will slow down, breathe and enjoy life.
As Gourdon said, “You don’t come here to drink alcohol; you don’t come here to feed yourself; you come here to have an experience. Enjoy your wine, and I will do the work for you to have this experience. … You don’t have to pay more for the experience. You don’t have to know wine for the experience. You don’t have to feel uneducated about hospitality or anything like that. (We’re) just going to create that for you.”
A word of warning: If you don’t like new taste experiences, Belleville may not be the best place for you. Expect pairing suggestions, wines swapped out for something you might like better, and wines that you will not find anywhere else in town.
A word of warning: If you don’t like new taste experiences, Belleville may not be the best place for you. Expect pairing suggestions, wines swapped out for something you might like better, and wines that you will not find anywhere else in town.
Belleville also offers a selection of French food items for purchase to go that include jams, mustards, chocolates and foie gras. Gourdon said it’s the only place in Reno where you can get butter from Brittany.
He plans to open a shop next to Beloved’s Bakery in the Reno Public Market, hopefully by summer. “It’s going to be a wine store and sell French produce like we have here, but multiply that number by 10,” he said. He also plans to sell grab-and-go cheese and charcuterie, and host a wine club and tasting events.
I highly recommend you visit Belleville. Bring your curiosity—and be ready for a true taste experience.
Belleville Wine Bar is located at 400 W. Fifth St., Suite 101, in Reno. Learn more at www.instagram.com/bellevillewinebar.
