Possible Clues:

• Wine and soda
• Wine bar choice
• Wine mixed with a sparkling water
• Wine drink hotel introduced to small Paris estaminet — red initially
• Drink mostly nothing after race, with rehydration ultimately ignored
• Flipping salespeople pressing hotel for alcoholic drink
• Drink salespeople knocked back outside posh establishment
• Outside posh hotel, salespeople knocked back wine and soda
• Wine and soda water
• Sellers turned up, ringing hotel for a drink