One of my favorite times to visit a restaurant is the quiet hours between lunch and dinner,especially at a place that has a bar. What better time to relax with a glass of wine and a book, or(truth told) stare at your phone and scroll through Facebook and/or Twitter? If you’re close to thehustle and bustle of Pike Place Market, Le Pichet is a fine location for a quiet mid-day respite.

While the low-key afternoon atmosphere is certainly a plus at Le Pichet, it’s the wine list thatkeeps me coming back. I’m a sucker for all the esoteric, non-showy French wines. Like the 2010Domaine Bruno Dufeu Bourgueil ($7). It’s a Cabernet Franc from France’s Loire Valley region,and is a wonderfully light and lively red wine. It doesn’t club you over the head with clumsyoak flavor, gum-searing strength, or boozy aftertaste. Spicy, pure, and unfussy, it’s the perfectaccompaniment to uninterrupted time at the bar. But if you’re hungry, the Dufeu would be anideal match to to an assortment of charcuterie, like the air-dried country sausage.

And when we finally get around to having a summer in Seattle, this Cabernet Franc would theperfect warm-day red. Serve it with a slight chill and enjoy it with hamburgers and hotdogs offthe grill. Preferably in a comfy chair on a shaded porch or lawn. But, in the meantime, a stool atLe Pichet is not a bad second option.