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On July 14, 1789, Parisian citizens stormed the Bastille, then a notorious prison and fortress of the king's troops. The taking of the Bastille was the beginning of the long, tortuous road that led to the collapse of the absolute power of the French monarchy and the creation of a republican form of government based on representative democracy and political equality for all French citizens.

The vitality of the French citizens who spurred these changes is deeply honored. And that vitality continues year-round in the neighborhood of the original Bastille. Stones from the foundation of the long-gone prison are displayed in the Bastille subway stop, but in place of the prison, a massive monument called the Colonne de Juillet stands in the middle of a large, usually congested traffic circle called the Place de la Bastille.

Circling the Place de la Bastille are sidewalk cafés, wine bars, restaurants, newspaper and magazine stands, fresh fruit and vegetable stands, clothing shops, printing shops, furniture stores, antique shops, bookstores, bakery shops and Asian import shops. There are trees and plenty of apartment buildings and condominium flats.

Nearby, the Opéra de la Bastille presents world-class operas and ballets; some of the hottest hip dance clubs in Paris are just around the corner.

At all hours of the day and night, people flow out of the subway stop and onto the streets around Place de la Bastille. All shapes, sizes, colors and ages are present, with most speaking French. But other tongues - including a little English - float in the air.

The area, in short, is an urban neighborhood where the convergence of culture, commerce, entertainment, housing and tourism delivers diversity, undeniable vitality and a palpable sense of energy. It has a sense of place - authentic, organic and just a little edgy.

No place captures this spirit better than Le Café du Passage at 12 rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris (Telephone: 01-49-29-97-64, e-mail: lecafedupassage@wanadoo.fr), down the street from Place de la Bastille. The café is a wine bar open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. It serves a wonderful assortment of wines, whiskeys and petites assiettes, which are small plates of diverse and tasty delicacies and cheeses from throughout France.

Le Café du Passage occupies a rather inconspicuous storefront, with about a dozen seats outside and another 40 inside. Underground, however, is an impressive array of wines in the bar's cave, assembled by Gérard Pantanacce, wine and food enthusiast and impresario.

(On some weekends during the growing season, Pantanacce also tends 2,200 grapevines he owns near Libourne, a small port on the banks of the river Dordogne in Bordeaux.)

At 8 p.m., Le Café du Passage usually is just filling up, but forget about finding a seat if arriving after 10 without a reservation. The patron mix of young Parisians, along with the odd table of more mature wine enthusiasts, provides a slice of authentic contemporary Parisian life. They come for the superb wine and interesting food offered in a casual yet comfortable place.

The cafe's normal business is so good that Pantanacce and l'équipe (the team that helps to run the café) need not wait for tourists to come in, particularly those who do not speak French and then expect to be served perfectly.

However, if you are willing to speak a little French and are comfortable dining without pretension, then Le Café du Passage is a place to enjoy excellent French wine and authentic regional delicacies.

Pantanacce's selections from Burgundy, Champagne, the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and several obscure regions, such as the Jura and Jurançon, are excellent, but his inventory from the northern Rhône Valley is particularly strong. It reflects his special interest in that region's producers.

When I visited last March, the wine list featured a stunning array of 54 Côte-Rôtie bottlings of various vintages from 11 leading producers, including Burguad, Clusel-Roch, Cuilleron, Gangloff, Galliard, Gérin, Jamet, Jasmin and Villard. It also included a fine selection of other northern Rhône red wines from appellations such as Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and Saint-Joseph.

Highlights from the food menu include the rillettes de canard (duck paté served with fresh sliced baguettes); green salad tossed with olive oil, tomatoes and tender grilled chicken breast; seafood risotto; and andouilletes (small grilled tripe sausages served in a cream sauce).

The superb selection of fromage fermier (artisanal farm cheeses made with unpasteurized milk) includes a wonderful Saint-Nectaire. The delicious desserts include my favorite, sablés (baked flaky pastries topped with sweet stewed figs).

In the spirit of Le Café du Passage, try the following wine bar classics:

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