France Archives -

Pros and Cons of a Champagne and Alsace Combo Wine Trip

When we booked a wine trip to France, we decided to head east out of Paris and visit Champagne and Alsace on the same itinerary.

Part of this was purely out of necessity, as we were traveling onward to Germany and had to end in Munich, so heading east made sense to easily connect to onward trains. Another part was that it was Christmas time, and we wanted to check out the iconic Christmas markets in Alsace and nearby.

But, in reality, we booked both on the same itinerary because we could- the two regions aren't that far apart (about 2-3 hours by train/car) and starting in Champagne was an easy ~50 minute train ride from Paris.

In retrospect, however, hitting two major French wine regions in one itinerary was a lot to say the least. So much so that we had to make sacrifices in both, particularly when it came to buying wine to bring home.

So in this one, we thought we'd share some pros and cons of combining Champagne and Alsace into a single trip, including what we liked and what we would've perhaps done differently.

When it comes to interesting and, dare we say, somewhat robust rose wines, we almost always look towards Tavel in France to enjoy bottles made with the Rosé de Saignée method.

This method effectively is bleeding off juice that is macerating on the grape skins as pigmentation is building. So rather than, say, a soft direct press or blending, this one produces wines that are similar to their red counterparts, but just a bit lighter overall.

Tresor des Sables from Les Vignerons de Tavel was one such bottle, which incorporates a bit of pressing into the mix as well, and is a beautiful rose, or, dare we say, just a really, really light red.

It's not every day you can crack open a 1975 Sauternes-Barsac. Truth be told, we have never had one this old before. But after finding this one tucked away at a bottle shop we frequent for a rather reasonable price, we decided to give it a go.

Before even opening this one, we noticed something interesting- the cork had a small label on it that it was recorked at the winery in 1999. This was something we'd never seen before and gave us a hint that, for 24 years at least, the wine was cellared directly at the estate. After that, well, we put it on faith that it was stored well enough in the years in between.

So, what's a 50+ year old Sauternes-Barsac like? Let's dive into this beauty.

After returning home from our trip to Champagne, we, naturally, started buying more Champagne.

This wasn't so much because we didn't buy a lot while there (we did), but rather that many top producers were readily available to us at home- often not for much more than we could buy them in France. So we waited until we returned, grabbed a few bottles from producers we wanted to try but missed when on the road, and quickly popped them enjoy.

Pierre Paillard's Bouzy Grand Cu Les Parcelles 2021 (labeled XXI) was one such bottle. Although we enjoyed this one, we do have to admit, it was a bit on the pricier side for our liking.

Veuve Clicquot has a reputation of being an iconic Champagne producer. From the easily recognizable yellow label, to legions of diehard followers (and critics), their non-vintage Champagne can be found and enjoyed the world over.

While we personally enjoy the yellow label bottle ourselves, we do recognize that it does come at a fair premium for what you get- especially in the United States with import markups added.

After visiting Veuve Clicquot during our Champagne wine tour, we tried another bottle, Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old No. 4 that became our new favorite from the producer. Why is that? Well, it is a blend of old, reserve wines only (the 4th edition had wines from 1996 to 2014 only), and, given that it is extra brut, has a fair bit less residual sugar than the standard bottle- all for not that much more in price (in the US, at least).

So if you are a critic of the yellow label for any reason (or are just a fan), be on the lookout for this one!

Is there any wine region more famous than Champagne? This is debatable, of course, as there are several regions that could fit that bill. But at the end of the day, Champagne is one of the most popular regions for wine in the world, and it is easy to see why- producers here make the world's best sparkling wine!

If you are planning a trip to Champagne, there are many things you may want to consider before you go. We've got you covered in this guide with tips from our visit!

We are big fans of Alsatian white blends, as the flavorful grapes in the region can really offer robust and, dare we say, decadent wines.

One bottle we tried that we quite loved was Christophe Mittnacht's Terres d'etoiles Gyotaku- a blend of Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Riesling. While this one was perhaps not as intense as other Alsatian white blends we've had, it was a refreshing bottle at a reasonable price point all around.

We could get used to this!

Every January, we try and do a refresh and take some time off from drinking alcohol.

But, as we still enjoy good flavor, we take this time to try some non-alcoholic wines and see how the industry is progressing. Oddbird has a rather delicious Blanc de Blancs worth trying and, while perhaps not quite a perfect substitute for a fine wine, it is getting there!

When planning our trip to Champagne, we have to admit we didn't kow where exactly we wanted to make our base. This famous region has wineries all over that we would've happily booked a tasting, so planning where to stay in Champagne required some extra thought.

Although we settled on Epernay primarily for a small town feel and easier access to some of the Champagne houses we actually booked, we could've just as easily booked a stay in Reims or any number of other small towns nearby.

So in this one, we wanted to talk about planning logistics for Champagne and how that impacts where you may ultimately want to stay!

We will be the first to admit that sparkling wine, like Champagne and Cava, doesn't have to just be reserved for special occasions.

Sparkling wine, particularly bottles that come from Champagne in France, often has a history associated with parties, milestones, and good times. But it is also versatile with food and darn good to drink on its own, too- so much so that you can and should open them up just because it is a Monday and you want wine just as easily as celebrating a milestone.

In this one, we thought we would share 10 bottles of Champagne, Cava, and other sparkling wines that have made the biggest impression on us for their quality. So whether you are gearing up to have a nice bottle of sparkling wine with a meal, are celebrating something special in your life, or planning ahead of that one celebration everyone around the world is looking forward to, we've got you covered.

Note: This list only features bottles of sparkling wine we've personally tried and enjoyed. We consider them our top 10 favorites; however, we recognize that this list is incredibly subjective. We will likely update this list more over time as we try more sparkling wine!

Pros and Cons of a Champagne and Alsace Combo Wine Trip

Tresor Des Sables Tavel 2023 Review – Intense Rose

Chateau Doisy Dubroca Sauternes-Barsac 1975 Review – Vibrant

Pierre Paillard Bouzy Grand Cru Les Parcelles XXI Review

Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old No 4 Review – A Favorite

How to Plan a Champagne Wine Tour – Tips and Advice

Christophe Mittnacht Terres d’etoiles Gyotaku 2023 Review

Oddbird Dealcoholized Blanc de Blancs Review – Flavorful NA

Where to Stay in Champagne for Wine Tasting – A Big Region

10 of the Best Sparkling Wines to Try Right Now