Grape Holidays 2026
I love grape holidays, I really do.
In theory.
And then I forget about them.
Next, I might occasionally see the grape holiday I already missed. Yes, grape holiday is not a New Year – you can celebrate it later, but still.
Last year, I shared the list of 2025 grape holidays in the hope that it would help me not to miss them. And yet I missed the absolute majority of them. I’m sure the story will repeat itself this year, but hey, let me at least share the list while most of the grape holidays are still ahead of us.
Here we go – grape holidays of 2026:
January 27, Tuesday – International Port Wine Day <– it’s today, by the way. Have a bottle of Port handy?
February 1, Sunday - International Furmint Day
February 16, Monday - International Syrah Day
February 28 – OTBN, Open That Bottle Night <– my favorite grape holiday
March 3, Tuesday - International Mulled Wine Day
March 13, Friday - International Riesling Day
March 21, Saturday - World Vermouth Day
April 14, Tuesday - Tannat Day
April 17, Friday - World Malbec Day
April 27, Monday - World Marselan Day
May 1, Friday - International Sauvignon Blanc Day. Celebrated on the first Friday of May
May 2, Saturday - International Baga Day. Celebrated every 1st Saturday of May.
May 9, Saturday - World Moscato Day
May 17, Sunday - Pinot Grigio Day
May 21, Thursday - International Chardonnay Day - Celebrated on the Thursday before Memorial Day (US) at the end of May
June 12, Friday - World Verdejo Day. Celebrated on the second Friday of June
June 13, Saturday – National Rosé Day
June 13, Saturday - Drink Chenin Blanc Day
June 21, Sunday - World Lambrusco Day
July 1, Wednesday – International Madeira Wine Day <– it is possible I just made that up, but hey, Madeira wine is well worth celebrating!
July 12, Sunday - International Cava Day
August 1, Saturday – World Albariño Day
August 13, Thursday - International Prosecco Day
August 18, Tuesday - International Pinot Noir Day
September 3, Thursday- International Cabernet Sauvignon Day – Celebrated on the first Thursday of September
September 4, Friday - National Chianti Day – Celebrated on the first Friday of September
September 10, Thursday - National Port Wine Day
September 18, Friday - International Grenache Day - Celebrated on the third Friday of September
October 5, Monday – World Vranec Day
October 6, Tuesday – Orange Wine Day
October 10, Saturday - International Pinotage Day – Celebrated on the second Saturday in October
October 14, Wednesday – Prokupac Day
October 23, Friday - World Champagne Day - Celebrated on the fourth Friday of October
October 26, Monday - International Mavrud Day
October 29, Thursday - International Carignan Day - Celebrated on the last Thursday in October
November 1, Sunday - International Xinomavro Day
November 7, Saturday - International Merlot Day
November 12, Thursday - International Tempranillo Day - Celebrated on the second Thursday of November
November 15, Sunday – Amphora Wine Day
November 19, Thursday - Beaujolais Nouveau Day - Celebrated on the third Thursday of November
November 24, Tuesday - International Carménère Day
December 1, Tuesday – International Maratheftiko Day
December 4, Friday - International Cabernet Franc Day
December 10, Thursday - World Aszú Day
December 16, Wednesday - Pinot Meunier Day
If you are one of the typical wine lovers, above you have a list of 45 days of the year (okay, 44) when you don’t need to bother yourself with the question “what do I want to drink tonight”. Here, the choice is made for you. No, don’t thank me, this is what wine friends are for.
In this whole list, there is one holiday I really don’t want to miss – the OTBN. Be forewarned – the holiday is only 4 weeks away. I don’t know about you, but my head is already spinning, going through “oh, not that… and not that one”.
Oh well. Whatever you choose to celebrate – happy grape holiday to you!
2023 UGCB Vintage Preview – Classic
“Classic”.
“Normal”.
This is practically a tradition for me to start the year with the Bordeaux tasting – a UGCB new vintage preview. The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) is a market organization representing Grand Cru wineries (Chateaux) in Bordeaux. UGCB currently has 131 members and focuses on the promotion of Bordeaux Grand Cru wines around the world, organizing more than 100 events in 15+ countries.
I had been coming to these events for quite a few years by now, and I always make an effort to ask one question of the winemakers – “How was the vintage”? Among responses, I had an interesting range of opinions, with some of the answers even contradicting each other. For example, one of the winemakers said that they lost 35% of the crop due to the mildew. However, nobody else seems to have the same problem, even within the same appellation.
But no matter what, there seems to be a consensus to call this vintage “classic”, or “normal”, as some people referred to it. There was a good amount of rain in the spring, with even growing conditions throughout the summer and harvest in the fall. So the 2023 Bordeaux shall be known as Classic. My general impressions of the tasting also confirm this designation – I would call the majority of the wines I tasted “a classic Bordeaux”.
The wines below represent the list of favorites, the wines that were drinkable right now, or may be after a short decanting. Where 2022 was mostly ready to drink right away, 2023 being “classic” will definitely benefit from the time in the cellar as it has acidity and structure to build upon. But hey, you will be the judge of it.
Now, to the wines I enjoyed in the tasting:
Pessac-Léognan (the only Grand Cru region in Bordeaux producing both white and red wines). Most of the whites I tried were delicious. The reds were mostly on the leaner side, but overall nice and “classic”.
2023 Château Carbonnieux Blanc Pessac-Léognan
2023 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion Rouge Pessac-Léognan (’22)
2023 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc Pessac-Léognan (’21, ’22) – probably the most favorite among the whites
2023 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge Pessac-Léognan (’21, ’22) – one of the top red favorites, ready to drink now
2023 Château de Fiuzal Blanc Pessac-Léognan (’21, ’22)
2023 Château de Fiuzal Rouge Pessac-Léognan (’22)
2023 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc Pessac-Léognan
2023 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Rouge Pessac-Léognan
2023 Château Latour-Martillac Blanc Pessac-Léognan (’22)
2023 Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc Pessac-Léognan (’21)
2023 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc Pessac-Léognan – my second favorite white wine. Bright and beautiful.
2023 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge Pessac-Léognan
Margaux
For the first time in many years, this was my favorite region in the tasting. The wines were mostly well-balanced without killing the palate with a tannin attack, as many others did.
2023 Château Brane-Cantenac Margaux (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Cantenac Brown Margaux
2023 Château Dauzac Margaux
2023 Château Giscours Margaux
2023 Château Kirwan Margaux
2023 Château Lascombes Margaux (’22)
2023 Château Rauzan-Ségla Margaux (’21)
2023 Château du Tertre Margaux
Pauillac
I guess I gravitate to Pauillac – almost every one had been on my favorite list for several years in a row. Second favorite group after Margaux.
2023 Château Batailley Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Clerc Milon Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château d’Armailhac Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Duhart-Milon Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Haut-Batailley Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Lynch-Moussas Pauillac (’22)
2023 Château Pichon BaronPauillac (’22)
Listrac-Médoc
2023 Château Fourcas Dupré Listrac-Médoc
2023 Château Fourcas Hosten Listrac-Médoc
Haut-Médoc
2023 Château Cantemerle Haut-Médoc
2023 Château Coufran Haut-Médoc – love the winemaker’s philosophy – Bordeaux needs to be released aged. 2009 and 2011 vintages are the current vintages sold in the US, 2007 is in the UK.
Pomerol
2023 Château Le Gay Pomerol (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Gazin Pomerol
2023 Château Rouget Pomerol – the only wine in Bordeaux made by a Burgundy guy – according to the winemaker, the Burgundy guy himself.
Saint-Émilion
2023 Chateau Valandraud Saint-Émilion (’21, ’22)
Saint-Estèphe
2023 Château Phélan Ségur Saint-Estèphe (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Ormes De Pez Saint-Estèphe
Saint-Julien
2023 Château Beychevelle Saint-Julien (’21)
2023 Château Léoville Barton Saint-Julien (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Léoville Poyferré Saint-Julien (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Saint-Pierre Saint-Julien (’21)
Sauternes and Barsac
This category was scarcely populated, with only 5 producers presented. When I asked about the vintage, everyone said with an ear-to-ear smile, “Perfect!”. And yet only 2 of 5 wines (below) were perfectly balanced, with cleansing acidity on the finish; the other 3 had a wonderful burst of bright sugar, without acidity on the finish to ever bring the wine to balance.
2023 Château Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Coutet Barsac
There you are, my friends. The 2023 Bordeaux Grand Cru vintage – The Classic. Cellar it. Or drink it. It is a classic, so unless you can wait for another 40-50 years, just drink it now. Well, maybe decant some of the bottles first.
Ohh, and don’t forget to save some room in your cellars for ’24 and ’25, both mentioned with lots of emotion and pride as something “special”… Let’s just wait one year…
Top 25 of 25
I’m so predictable, right? You could tell without looking that the post about Talk-a-Vino’s top wines of the year 2025 will have this exact title, right?
25 of 25 just rhymes too perfectly, I had no choice but to use it as a title.
It is never easy to decide on the list of the top wines of the year – even if I want to list only 10 top wines, I could never do it. I have always included a lot more, despite 10 being the original thought. But – this year was a lot worse than any previous year I remember. I don’t know if this is just the wines getting better and better, or me just being lucky, I can’t tell. But considering the number of amazing 30 (give or take) year-old wines I had this year, it might be the latter.
I had to make a lot of difficult choices to avoid bringing this list to a 40+ top wines – it is not because I drink so much wine, but because it is so difficult to make decisions. But I did my best to agree with myself on the 25 top wines.
2025 was the year of iconic wines and the year of doubles. I tasted a few of the iconic wines I always wanted to try for the first time – Domaine Huet from the Loire, Bernhard Ott from Austria – both are great producers I wanted to taste for a while. Both are included in the list. There are also a number of “doubles” – two wines from Turley, two wines from Domaine Bousquet. And a few more doubles didn’t happen because of – yes, you got it – hard decisions I had to make. For example, San Felice In Avane Chardonnay was spectacular, and it was absolutely supposed to be included in the list…
Just to remind you, this list is all about memories. The wine has to be memorable; it has to solicit an emotion to be included in this list. One way or the other, but all of these wines managed to do so, so here we are.
Before we get to the list, a few stats. The list below includes sparkling (1, or possibly 2, depending on how you look at Moscato), Rosé (2), white (7), red (13), and dessert (2). 10 countries are represented in the list below – California (7), Italy (6), France (4), Argentina (2), Austria (1), Czech Republic (1), Germany (1), Israel (1), Japan (1), Portugal (1). I think this is a well-rounded list, but you will be the judge of it.
Without further ado, here are the Talk-a-Vino Top 25 wines of 2025.
25. 2023 Poggio Stenti Sangiovese Rosato Maremma Toscana DOC (€13,00) – I loved the wine when I tasted it the first time a year ago in Tuscany, and I equally loved my last bottle. Clean, crisp, delightful, mood-lifting.
24. NV Gran Marselan Cuvée du Centenaire Vin de France ($169) – A unique and different wine made from a unique grape. The wine had enough power to be memorable and also to make me curious about its further evolution. Would love to taste it again in 10 years.
23. 1966 Cantine Dr. Giorgio Lungarotti Torgiano Rubesco ($N/A) – I got this bottle a few years ago as a present. This year, I finally had an opportunity to share it with the same friends who gifted it to me. The wine was not insanely good, but it was respectfully good enough. It was drinkable and pleasant, and for an almost 60-year-old wine, it became perfectly memorable.
22. 2019 Segal Native Marawi Single Vineyard Judean Hills ($24.49) – clean, bright, delightful, unique. And as a collector of rare grape experiences, it makes me happy (never had Marawi before).
21. 1998 Mondavi Moscato d’Oro Napa Valley ($N/A) – had this bottle for a while, probably for 20 years or so. Finally I decided that it was time to pull the cork, and the wine was very good.
20. 2021 Paul Anheuser Blanc de Noir Nahe ($8.99) – I had no expectations, just curiosity. German Pinot Noirs are the proverbial “talk of the town” as of late, so how would German Pinot Noir Blanc fare? The wine was spectacular – generous, playful, refreshing, and, most importantly, delivering a lot of pleasure. An absolute steal for the price.
19. 2023 Anonimo Red Wine Paso Robles ($?, 60% Sangiovese, 20% Petite Sirah, 20% Petit Verdot) – I got it from Last Bottle Wines for all I remember, but can’t find any records (very unusual for me). The beautiful part is that this wine tastes as perfectly scrumptious Chianti – not the leather-driven, but fruit-driven, like Campochiarenti wines. I was curious how much California Sangiovese could taste like an Italian one – and this wine overdelivered. Superb. An interesting part is that I think I paid something around $20 per bottle, but the wine on the website is listed at $75, and basically requires a mailing list subscription. Anyway, a memorable treat.
18. 2024 Sansilvestro Dulcis Moscato d’Asti DOCG (~$20) – I don’t care what anyone says about sweet wines – as long as the wine has balancing acidity, it is all that I need to enjoy it. I love Asti, and this wine, also beautifully packaged, was simply saying “celebration!” with every sip.
17. 2006 Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli Siepi Toscana IGT ($N/A) – good Italian wine is always a treat. This was a special treat, possibly at a peak (this is never known), but the wine was an absolute delight.
16. 2015 Domaine Schlumberger Pinot Noir Stein Alsace ($N/A) – until I tried this wine, I didn’t even know that Alsace makes red wines. Of course, the Alsatian whites are well known, but this was a special treat – lean, smoky, minerally-driven, delicious.
15. 2021 San Felice La Pieve Chianti Classico Gran Selezione ($75) – another treat from Italy. Aromatic, round, layered, delicious.
14. 2016 Salabka La Coquine Chardonnay Czech Republic ($N/A) – not every white wine can last for 9 years. I opened this last bottle brought from the trip to Prague not without trepidation – the first sip dissipated all the worries and brought my palate into the state of nirvana. Superb, world-class Chardonnay.
13. NV Incandesa Brut Traditional Method California Sparkling Wine ($15, Last Bubbles) – round, delicious bubbles that are hard to find on the budget. Nothing more, nothing less.
12. 2015 Turley Petite Syrah Pesenti Vineyard Paso Robles ($38) – I spontaneously decided to taste the 2015 Turley Petite Syrah (I can never get why Turley is using Syrah with a “y” instead of the proper Sirah with an “i”) against the 2015 Carlisle Sonoma County Petite Sirah. Both wines were very good, but my best comparison invokes the music analogy, where the Turley Petite Syrah was a beautiful musical passage that fully resolves, versus Carlisle, which abruptly ends on a high note, leaving the listener in the middle of an incomplete musical sentence. Hope this makes sense – anyway, the Turley was delicious start to finish.
11. 2018 Smith-Madrone Riesling Spring Mountain ($38) – one of my most favorite Rieslings ever. Deciding on including 2018 and not 2019 was similar to splitting hairs. Delicious wine from the first drop to the last.
10. 2007 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena Napa Valley ($N/A) – a pure delight only a mature Napa Cab can deliver. This was a present from a friend, which I kept in the cellar for a while. I’m sure this wine would evolve for another 20 years, but it was beautiful in the glass already. Layers of cassis, eucalyptus, a touch of mint, polished, elegant, impeccably balanced.
9. 2019 Domaine Huet Clos du Bourg Sec Vouvray AOC ($46.97) – finally, I tasted the wine which I knew by name for many, many years. Stunning aromatics, layered fruit in every sip, a pure pleasure.
8. 2014 Weingut Bernhard Ott Grüner Veltliner Der Ott Feuersbrunn Wagram ($19, Last Bottles) – another dream came true. Not only was it a legendary Ott, but this wine also had a good age on it, and the wine showed spectacularly. It was interesting to find a touch of gunflint and a beautiful honey note on this wine, similar to the one you expect from mature Chardonnay, and even a whiff of petrol you would expect from a Riesling. Perfectly alive and a pure pleasure in the glass.
7. 2021 Domaine Takahiko Soga Nana-Tsu-Mori Pinot Noir Hokkaido Japan ($300?) – wow, Pinot Noir from Japan, how about it? The wine was beautifully classic, with good depth, cherries, dark fruit, and finesse, lots of finesse.
6. 2024 Domaine Bousquet Ameri Eva Estate Organic Sauvignon Blanc ($35) – Domain Bousquet has a very large wine production, and yet manages to create a new and ultra-enjoyable wine. The wine’s unique buttery notes put it into its own category, delivering lots of pleasure now, and is built for aging. I would love to see the evolution of this wine in 10-15 years.
5. 2021 Monchiero Rocche di Castaglione Barolo DOCG ($70) – I don’t drink enough Barolo, that’s all I can tell you. I didn’t expect that such a young Barolo would show so beautifully in the glass, no decanting needed. A pure medley of red and black fruit, violets, impeccable balance. Note to self – drink more Barolo!
4. 2019 Chateau d’Esclans Les Clans Provence Rosé ($110) – the wine is all about pleasure, and this wine delivers. Wait, correction – this wine overdelivers. Elegant, complex, and in its own category. Once you try it, the question “how can Rosé cost $100+” is instantly answered…
3. Rocim Vinha da Micaela Red Alentejo ($270) – a sans categorie wine. A beautiful concoction, made from local grapes, existing in its own world where it can’t be compared with any other wine. The wine doesn’t have a frame of reference, nor does it need one…
2. 2022 Domaine Bousquet Ameri Wild Roots Block 3 Organic Malbec ($85) – the second wine from Domaine Bousquet on our list. Polished, beautiful, layered, sexy, and voluptuous. When you take a sip of this wine, you want the pleasure to last forever.
1. 1999 Turley Zinfandel Pringle Family Vineyard Howell Mountain ($38.25) – Mesmerizing. Upon opening, the first sip of the wine appeared to be sweet. A few minutes later, the wine transformed, adding incredible depth and complexity. When I was taking the sip, time was stopping. I didn’t want to talk; I just wanted to reflect. Mesmerizing is the best one-word descriptor I can come up with for this wine.
This is it, my friends. Talk-a-Vino Top 25 of 25.
What were your memorable wines of 2025?
Happy New Year 2026!
Here we are again – a New Year. New hopes, new dreams, a new notebook with 365 empty pages. It is up to us to fill those pages with things that matter to us.
Two days ago, I opened a bottle of one of my favorite Champagnes, NV André Chemin Brut Tradition Champagne, and to my surprise, noticed something I had not paid attention to before. Take a look at this cork:
This is a perfect message to remember for the remaining 364 days of 2026.
Keep Calm and Drink Champagne.
I want to wish all of you and your families a healthy, peaceful, happy New Year 2026, filled with great moments, great memories, and great wines.
Source: Pixabay
Cheers!
“Drops of God” – A Must Watch For Winelovers
Rest assured – I have not suddenly turned into a movie critic.
But we just inhaled 8 episodes of the Drops of God series on Apple TV+. Apparently, we were late to the party, as the series premiered more than 2 years ago. And yet I accidentally came across it through a reel on Instagram. Next thing, my wife and I couldn’t stop watching it.
Set in France and Japan, you might think that the series is all about wine. But wine is a canvas, a truly mesmerizing canvas for anyone who loves the elixir of life, it is still only a canvas. The series is about love, family, friendship, sacrifices, passion, and wine’s unique ability to make people’s life better, bring people closer, and connect them.
That’s all I can tell you without any spoilers. And here is an official trailer:
Please, do yourself a favor – start watching it tonight. Who knows, you might want to thank me in the morning, when you are done watching it.
Cheers! Santé! 乾杯！
P.S. For some reason, the YouTube video above appeared to be broken on some of the devices. Just in case, here is a link to the show on Apple TV+.
Domaine Bousquet – Reaching New Heights
I might be ostracized for saying this, but I will risk saying this anyway – the wine world is simple. It might even be called predictable.
Here is how it works. Plant the vineyard. Make sure it produces good grapes. Make good wines. Learn about your vineyard. Divide it into plots. Learn how those plots are different. Identify better plots. Grow better grapes. Make better wines. Repeat. Next, make great wines.
See? I told you it is simple, right? So above is a simple recipe for success. Agreed?
Okay, let’s get back down to earth. The simplicity described above is only an appearance, a view from the outside. The simplicity is achieved through the countless amounts of hard work, passion, dedication, vision. Other than that, it is very simple.
Domaine Bousquet is less than 30 years old, and yet it is one of the most impressive wine businesses in the world. How? Anecdotal evidence is in the fact that I tasted lots and lots of wines from Domaine Bousquet, and I’m yet to find the wine I didn’t like. To take it into the real perspective, please allow me to quote myself:
I wrote about the history of Domaine Bousquet very extensively on these pages, so I’m not going to regurgitate everything that I already said – instead, I would like to suggest that you read this post, and also this one. However, I will illustrate my statement about the most impressive wine business with a few pictures. Here is what high altitude (1,200 m/4,000 ft) desert looked like in 1990 when Frenchman Jean Bousquet first fell in love with the area while on vacation in Argentina:
Source: Domaine Bousquet
Here is what it looks like today:
Source: Domaine Bousquet
Here is what domain Bousquet has accomplished in less than 30 years, after being formed in 1997:
Certified B corporation, certified regenerative organic, biodynamic, USDA organic… you can continue decoding the icons on your own. 5 million bottles are produced annually, and I never had a wine from Domaine Bousquet that I didn’t like. I rest my case.
Recently, I was offered to taste two of the latest wines from the Domaine Bousquet, and this is why I had to talk about a simple recipe for making good great wines.
These wines are vineyard-specific, and even block-specific – as we mentioned, this often happens when the great wines are made. Quoting information on the Domaine Bousquet website, these wines are “Crafted from organic grapes grown in our Eva Estate vineyard in Gualtallary, Tupungato at 1,257 meters above sea level, in the heart of the Uco Valley. This wine originates from a detailed study of 123 soil pits conducted with geologist Guillermo Corona, which identified distinct soil profiles and geomorphic units across the vineyard.”
Both wines were nothing short of stunning.
2024 Domaine Bousquet Ameri Eva Estate Organic Sauvignon Blanc (12.5% ABV, $35, grapes sourced from Plot No 9, fermented in French oak barrels (50% new, 50% second use), aged for 8 months in barrel and 6 months in bottle) had a very unique profile for the Sauvignon Blanc. It didn’t have the grapefruit, nor it have a cat pee. Instead, it was reminiscent of a nice, balanced Chardonnay, with a hint of buttery notes and a touch of honey. Delicious, balanced whitestone fruit, lemon, smooth but vibrant. If we need a style comparison, Pouilly-Fumé is the only Sauvignon Blanc that comes to mind, and otherwise, Ornellaia’s Poggio Alle Gazze would be my next best comparison. A delicious wine (8+), probably the best Sauvignon Blanc I tasted in a while. Oh yes, and this wine will age. It went from restrained fruity on the first day to tart and acidic on the second to the beautiful fruit medley on the third. Definitely worth the price in my opinion.
2022 Domaine Bousquet Ameri Wild Roots Block 3 Organic Malbec (14.5% ABV, $85, fermented with native yeasts in 400-liter oak barrels, followed by a 30-day maceration, aged for 12 months in French oak, one year in bottle) was even more impressive than the previous wine. Layers of luscious fruit, cedar, a hint of vanilla (a hallmark of Malbec in my book), minerality, a touch of black currant, perfectly integrated tannins, impeccable balance. This wine would easily compete with the best California Cabernet Sauvignons, for sure in a blind tasting. (9-), will also age nicely, considering the evolution over the 3-4 days the wine was opened.
Here you are, my friends. Two new wines from Domaine Bousquet, two next-level wines. still competitively priced considering the amount of pleasure they are offering. I’m not sure what’s next for Domaine Bousquet, but one thing is for sure – I expect more great wines to come our way.
Until the next time – cheers!
A Few Days in Paris – 2025 Edition
We generally have an opportunity to plan our lives.
By this, I mean deciding that we want to visit a place or a country. And sometimes, our travel is planned for us when we need to travel for work. And then, occasionally, we get a lucky break – for example, when your work travel takes you to Paris.
I’m typing this on the plane, coming back after spending a week in Paris – yes, for work. And I will not lie to you – I enjoyed the experience. As you know, when I travel, I take lots of pictures. And then I love sharing those pictures – and this is exactly my plan for this post.
We were in Paris last May, when the city was getting ready to host the Summer Olympics 2024. Coming back a year later, at the end of October, and outside of the busy tourist season worked rather well.
I stayed at the hotel located within a 5-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower, thus I had an opportunity to take pictures during the day, during the night, from 100 meters away, and even from underneath the tower. And now, I can share them with you.
One of the experiences we missed last May was visiting Notre Dame. It was just reopening after the restoration, and we didn’t have a chance to see it. I was very lucky as we managed to see her in all of her renewed beauty.
Let me explain the “lucky” notion here. We initially planned to visit Notre Dame on Wednesday night. It was raining on Wednesday, so we decided to wait until the next day. Then, we got a recommendation to reserve our visit time online – the admission is free, but if you have timed tickets, your wait should be minimal as opposed to the live queue. When I tried to reserve tickets for the time in the evening (our work was ending at 6 pm), all the tickets were sold out for Thursday and Friday, the only two days when we could visit. So we decided to visit on Thursday night, which also appeared to be the only day of the week when Notre Dame is open until 10 pm!
When we arrived, close to 8 pm, there was literally no line, so we were able to go in and fully experience the beauty of Notre Dame.
We also wandered by the Musée d’Orsay after dinner. It was too late to enter the museum, but at least we snapped a few pictures of the hippo:
At last, a few words about food and wine.
Talking about food experiences, it was my first time trying frog legs! I must say that I liked them. I usually hear a reference to “tastes like chicken,” but to me, they most resembled fish, such as trout, and not chicken. Also in the highlights were Beef Bourgogne (great flavor), oxtail terrine (very tasty), and veal liver with wild mushrooms (perfectly done, not something you can easily find in a restaurant in the U.S.). From the food let-downs, I want to mention steak tartar premixed with … wait for it… ketchup (sigh). You couldn’t taste anything except ketchup in that dish…
And then I found a perfect delicious gelato…
Now, the wines.
As always, I started by visiting the store. I picked a bottle of 2022 Club des Sommeliers Saumur-Champigny AOC (13.5% ABV), a perfect opportunity to taste the beloved Cabernet Franc. I understand that this is a supermarket brand, and on the first day, the wine had no resemblance to the classic Loire Cab Franc (no cassis, no bell pepper whatsoever). On the second day, the wine improved, offering at least some hints of the classic flavors.
Ah, and here is the obligatory picture of the supermarket wine shelves – you can zoom in and study if you wish.
The 2024 Le Sudiste Chardonnay Pays d’Oc (12.5% ABV) was outstanding. Classic Chardonnay, vanilla and apples profile, just a hint of butter, round, silky, and refreshing.
While visiting Basque restaurant (probably best meal of the trip), I found some delicious wine by the glass from the appellation I’m not familiar with at all – 2020 Domaine Abotia Rouge Irouleguy AOC (65% Tannat, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc) – the wine was a standout, dense, full-bodied, an interplay of wild berries, well integrated tannins and perfect balance.
Passing through the duty-free at the Charles de Gaulle airport on the way back, I had an opportunity to platonically enjoy some of the lovely and very expensive views, such as a line-up of Krug Champagne, Hennessy Cognac for measly €39,393, and a nice display of Louis XIII Cognacs (only €7,450! How many would you like?).
And then there were some unplatonic pleasures, despite early morning hours (who said you can’t enjoy wine at 8 AM?). I had some time to stop by the Star Alliance lounge, and I found a few of the Gérard Bertrand red wines being offered.
I was sure that I wrote about Gérard Bertrand wines on multiple occasions, but apparently it was only one blog post from 2 years ago, also talking about … yeah, visiting Paris.
Gérard Bertrand makes very reliable wines, usually at quite reasonable prices. First wine I tried was 2021 Gérard Bertrand Kosmos 888 Languedoc AOP (14.5% ABV, Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre blend), which was outstanding – generous, supple fruit, full body, perfectly accentuated tannins, luscious and delicious. I actually want to cite the description of the wine from the back label here, as it explains the name of the wine: “Kosmos is a tribute to the two most emblematic cosmic stars in organic viticulture, the Sun and the Moon. These two stars come together to represent the symbol of the infinity of the Kosmos, 888”.
It is interesting how the second wine couldn’t be any more different. 2022 Gérard Bertrand Héritage An 560 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel AOP (15% ABV, a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan) was much leaner despite higher ABV, tight, restrained, with firm structure, firm body, and more pronounced tannins – also perfectly elegant, but requiring you to slow down a bit to savor the beauty. Here again, I feel compelled to cite the description on the back label: “Gérard Bertrand reveals the history of South of France greatest terroirs. At the origin of humanity, 560 000 years ago, our ancestors already lived on the lands of Tautavel. The magnificent and secular landscapes are home to a vineyard in a limestone and schist clay amphitheater”.
On this happy note, it is time to conclude the travel story.
Hope you enjoyed some pictures!
Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrivé! 2025 Edition
Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrivé!
Yes, it is the third Thursday in November, and you know what it means! It is time to celebrate the new harvest. The 200-year-old tradition, taking its roots in the 1800s, became the “official” celebration of the new harvest 40 years ago, claiming the third Thursday in November as an official celebratory date. This is the day when the first wine of the new harvest appears in the wine stores around the world, to the great enjoyment of the wine aficionados and geeks.
For the 15 years this blog has existed, I have made an effort not to miss a single Beaujolais Nouveau celebration, and I have been successful so far. Considering that for the past 3 years I was traveling over this special week, the effort was real – you can read about my Beaujolais Nouveau struggles in France in 2022 and Florida in 2024. This year 2025 has not been an exception since I’m currently in Dallas, Texas.
Since the beginning of the week I checked a few times that there are wine stores within walking distance of the hotel where I’m staying, so my plan was to walk to the store on Thursday and get a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau. Remembering past year’s experience, I decided to call ahead, which proven to be a challenge. One store had some google voice setup telling me to leave a message. Again no answer in the second store. Someone answered my call in the third store, but the person clearly never heard of Beaujolais Nouveau, so after a few minutes of back and forth I understood that this would not work to my favor.
The next best hope was Total Wine – but the store was 1.8 miles away, I had no car and I was in the meetings. Then it dawned on me that Total Wine has the same day delivery service, and life all of a sudden improved. I found out that Total Wine had two Beaujolais Nouveau available, so the order with delivery was quickly placed (delivery was only $4.99 for two bottles).
I was hoping that the wine could be just left with the hotel staff, but the delivery lady called me to tell me that I have to come and pick up the wine in person, as I need to sign for it, and the lady needs to make sure that I’m not drunk already. Well, I guess it is Texas after all (say it in the voice of “This is Sparta!!”).
Luckily, I set up the delivery window during my lunchtime, so it was not a problem to meet the driver and get the wine.
After my meetings ended, there was the time to taste the wine. Attention: spoiler alert! Every year, I say that the quality of Beaujolais Nouveau gets better. 2025 was no exception. 2025 Beaujolais Nouveau was not just better, but it was much better!
Every year, the bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau are adorned with specially designed labels, sometimes even multiple labels from the same producer for the same wine – I have no idea how that works. As I have been writing about Beaujolais Nouveau every year since this blog started, I can offer you a collection of labels starting with the 2010 vintage. As Georges Dubouef is the only producer I was able to taste every year, below is my little “show and tell” display limited to the labels of Georges Dubouef wines I tasted throughout the years. In case you feel like it, you can even choose your favorite label and share it in the comments (sorry, this is not a competition, so no prizes will be awarded).
Here we go:
Beaujolais Nouveau 2025 has arrived, and if you haven’t tasted one yet – what are you waiting for? Taste it now and let me know what you think! Cheers!
Ah, Tempranillo!
And just like that, I almost miss another grape holiday. This time, it is Tempranillo Day!
Of course, you know this well by now – I like all the grapes. And I always say that there is one that I like the most – and every time I say it, it is a different grape.
Guilty as charged.
And yet, Tempranillo is really special.
You don’t have to read them, but just look at the names of some of my posts:
Magnificent Tempranillo
Tempranillo, Transposed
The Art of Tempranillo
Magnificent Rioja: CVNE Deep Dive
I think this qualifies as a pure expression of love, don’t you think?
I discovered the beauty of Tempranillo a long time ago, when I tasted a vertical of Rioja wines going all the way to 50+ years old. Rioja is one of my favorite expressions of Tempranillo, covered in this blog a countless number of times. Of course, Tempranillo is one of the major Spanish grapes, and it does very well in the US (Washington, California, Oregon, even the Hudson Valley), but if I can, I would always gravitate towards Rioja.
What I like about Rioja is that, in most cases, Rioja is predictable. Of course, it is great if you know the producer. La Rioja Alta, CVNE, Lopez de Heredia, Bodegas Lan, Bodegas Beronia, El Coto, Oscar Tobia – I will be happy to open a bottle with any of these names at any moment. But even when you don’t know the name, I would prefer to take my chances with an unknown Rioja rather than an unknown Chianti, an unknown Bordeaux, or an unknown Pinot Noir (oh, that might be the scariest of all).
Case in point. I’m currently in Stockholm, and at the restaurant, the wine list was short and without any names I could recognize. After an internal debate, I decided to take my chances with an unknown Rioja – and I didn’t regret my choice for a second, and neither did my dining companions.
2021 Bodegas Campillo Rioja Crianza DOC (14.5% ABV, 12 months in oak) was simply delicious. Fresh dark fruit on the nose, loads of dark fruit on the palate, cedar box, cherries, silky-smooth, roll-of-your-tongue goodness, medium to full body – a pure joy. Every sip was literally accompanied by the collective “ah”. You can call it pure luck, but I trusted my tempranillo, and the tempranillo didn’t disappoint.
Here you go, my friends. A grape holiday tribute to one of my favorite grapes – and the discovery of a new Rioja name.
How are you celebrating Tempranillo?
For the Love of Madeira
If I were to offer you a glass of Madeira, what would you say?
Okay, let’s take it up a notch: I assure you it will be a good Madeira.
Would you gladly accept it, or would you energetically decline?
I’m betting about 80% on the latter. And if you like wine, that would be simply your loss. But if you are in that 20%, accepting that glass of good Madeira would be a very wise decision.
Madeira has a long history of ups and downs, similar to many other wines. I wrote about Madeira a few times in the past (not enough!), so let me be obnoxious and quote one of my older posts about the history of Madeira.
Madeira wine takes its name from Madeira Island in Portugal. The history of Madeira, which started around the 15th century, is full of accidental discoveries, glory, overcoming of the hardship, rise and fall, and even love – if you are interested in the full story, you should take a look at the Madeira Wine website. In the 15th / 16th centuries, Madeira wine was created when wine was transported in barrels through the ocean to far away places such as India and China. It was found ( by accident, of course) that a long ocean voyage improves the taste of wine compared to the original one that went into the barrel. After many trial-and-error experiments, it became apparent that prolonged exposure to the warm weather was the culprit, and then the method of heating the wine up to 60°C (140°F) was invented. The process of heating up the wine is called Estufagem, and it is done after the wine is fermented in the oak barrels, same as any other wine – again, you can find more details online – you can find less colorful but more technical details on Wikipedia (click here). Just to give you a few more details from Madeira’s history, trade embargoes led to further improving Madeira by adding brandy spirits in order to preserve the wine. Barrels of Madeira left for a prolonged time under the rain led to the development of the new style of Madeira wine, called Rainwater.
In the 18th century, Madeira was one of the most popular wines in the world, especially in England and the United States. Madeira was used to toast the United States Declaration of Independence, and was highly regarded as a drink of distinction. Unfortunately, first mildew and then phylloxera epidemic delivered a way too powerful one-two punch, which the Madeira wine industry was unable to overcome. Madeira subsided to nearly a cooking wine level, and stayed like that for a long time. Luckily, overall uptake on the wine industry throughout the world helps to revive the Madeira industry, and now it is becoming possible to find a great drinking Madeira even in the US – and you will see why. And I have to note that one of the great qualities of Madeira is in the fact that, unlike practically any other wine, once you open a bottle of Madeira, it will stay the same more or less indefinitely, due to both the Estufagem method and fortification with the spirit.
Now that you have a bit of historical perspective, let’s take a deeper dive into Madeira wine.
Madeira is a beautiful island with a subtropical climate and luscious greenery. Madeira’s name means wood, oak – this is what the first settlers saw. Madeira’s climate sports tropical winds, hot summers, mild winters, and high humidity. It also offers lots of microclimates, from south to north. Mountains and forests cover 47% of the island, mostly with altitudes of up to 200 meters, reaching 700 meters in some areas.
There are about 475 hectares of vineyards growing on the island (about 1,200 acres), cultivated by 2,000 growers. Vineyards utilize a pergola system to ensure proper aeration.
Six main grapes are used in wine production on Madeira: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia, Tinta Negra, and Terrantez. It is interesting to note that Verdelho and Verdejo are different grapes! Another interesting fact is that Tinta Negra can be vinified as white, rosé, or red.
After the harvest, the grapes are pressed and fermented as with any other wines. Fermentation is subsequently stopped, depending on the desired sweetness, by adding neutral spirit. Next, the heating process takes place. Less expensive wines are usually subjected to continuous heating in the steel tanks surrounded by coils for at least 90 days. Higher-end Madeiras, especially the single-harvest ones, are usually heated using the system called Canteiro, where the wine in the oak barrels is secured in place using wooden beams (canteiro) and heated by mother nature for a prolonged period of time, inside the winery.
The majority of Madeira wines are blends, with the labels indicating the age and type of grapes (it is also possible to make Madeira without indicating age and the grapes). The age designations can be 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, and 50 years. There are also single-harvest Madeiras, called Colheita, which should be aged for at least 5 years in oak, and Frasqueira which requires at least 20 years in oak. Another beauty of Madeira is in the fact that the wine can stay in the barrel indefinitely, and bottled only when needed – some of the known Frasqueiras exceed 200 years of age.
Three years ago, in 2022, I was lucky to attend the Madeira tasting in New York City, where I had an opportunity to taste some absolutely spectacular wines. The event included a Madeira Master Class as well as a walk-around tasting.
Here are the wines we tasted during the master class:
2009 Barbeito Single Harvest Tinta Negra
clean, open, light, easy to drink
2005 H.M. Borges Tinta Negra Colheita
Hazelnuts, dry fruit, figs, lemon, perfect acidity, beautiful dry fog finish. Lots of pleasure. Foie Gras would be perfect with it.
2001 Henriques and Henriques Malvasia Madeira
Complex herbaceous nose, nicely restrained
Salinity, acidity, supercomplex, dried fruit perfectly balanced
1999 Broadbent Tinta Negra Madeira Colheita
Chocolate, dried fruit compote, very restrained
Dried fruit, great acidity, toffee, tasty notes, outstanding.
1990 Pereira D’Oliveiras Malvasia Fresqueira Madeira
Bottled in 2018
Great herbaceous complexity, fall leaves, medicinal notes, eucalyptus
Amazing palate, dense, complex, loads of dried fruit and hazelnut. Superb.
1978 Blandy’s Fresqueira Terrantez Madeira
beautiful, herbal and vegetative notes, excellent balance, hazelnuts, salinity. Fresh and inviting.
There were lots of gems in the walk-around tasting, such as Justino’s 1996, 1997, and 50 years old Madeiras; D’Olivera Colheita and Fresqueira Madeiras from 2000, 1992, 1973, 1971, and 1969 (1969 was bottled only in 2022); Broadbent 10 years old Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, as well as 1999 Tinta Negra Colheita, and others.
As I said before, Madeira really needs to be experienced, and you have a perfect opportunity to do so.
Coming November 18th, you can experience the beauty of Madeira for yourself. Here are all the details:
Experience the Magic of Madeira – Sip, Taste & Vote!
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 5:30pm – 8:30pm
Ideal Glass Studio | 9 W 8th Street, New York, NY 10011
Six producers, six bartenders, one delicious adventure.
You can get 2 tickets for the price of one ($55) using this link.
✨ Your ticket includes:
- Walk-Around Tasting featuring six top Madeira producers — taste rare bottles, some worth over $100.
- Cocktail Competition – six NY bartenders crafting unique Madeira cocktails. Taste and vote for your favorite!
- Food Pairings by Chef Nuno of Leitão.
- Mini “Speed Tastings” with Wines of Portugal Ambassador Eugénio Jardim, exploring Madeira styles in fun, 15-minute bursts.
- Cocktail Seminar: Madeira Cocktails Made Easy with bartender Francesco Dionese — learn how to shake, stir, and sip Madeira at home. (seating is limited).
Don’t miss your opportunity – and you can thank me later. Cheers!
Last Bottle Sign Up ($10 credit)
Talk-A-Vino 