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Chateau Doisy Dubroca Sauternes-Barsac 1975 Review – Vibrant

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!

If you are planning a trip to go wine tasting in Alsace, you will likely be thinking about where to make your base, as the region itself is quite large.

We went back and forth on whether we wanted to stay in Strasbourg, in the north, the smaller city of Colmar, to the south, or find an even smaller town somewhere in between. We were visiting both in tandem with Christmas markets during the holidays (which have special considerations we'll get into later), and really struggled with the best choice of where to stay.

Ultimately, we settled on Colmar, and we were quite glad that we did- it was the perfect location for wine tasting and Christmas markets!

To say that we love Alsatian wine is an understatement. It is one of our favorite wine regions, not just in France, but anywhere in the world.

World-class Riesling? Yep. Stellar Pinot Gris? You know it. Even some sparkling Cremant? There really is a lot to love about Alsace!

During our visit, we got a chance to check out six great wineries in Alsace, and wanted to share a bit more about each in this one.

Note: Wineries in Alsace tend to have limited tasting appointments. Unless otherwise noted, contact wineries significantly far in advance when inquiring about tasting times. Most wineries we visited were not set up to accommodate walk-ins.

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

Where to Stay in Alsace for Wine Tasting – Strasbourg or Colmar?

6 Wineries in Alsace to Try When Visiting the Famous Region