12 Causes Cunard is Prime Selection for Wine-Loving Cruisers – All Issues Cruise

“Life is simply too brief to drink dangerous wine.” My spouse and I are severe wine followers. We’re additionally loyal passengers on Cunard, having accomplished our nineteenth voyage in January. As severe wine followers we learn the Wine Spectator cowl to cowl. Cunard just lately ran an advert on this wine journal which attracts a demographic with loads of disposable revenue. It acquired me pondering why, as a positive wine fan, Cunard is a perfect selection for fellow wine followers.

Allow us to take a look at the explanations:

1. Bottles you can not discover elsewhere. The letters to the editor within the Wine Spectator often complain they overview wines from small properties and tiny distributions within the US. These are sometimes snapped up by collectors. The wine record on Cunard is big! They typically have the massive names you can not discover elsewhere like Domaine De La Romanee Conti Montrachet and Chateau Petrus.
2. Attempt the best wines by the glass. Cunard ships have Coravin wine preservation techniques. They will supply first progress Bordeaux wines by the glass! In addition they supply a tasting flight of the 5 first progress Bordeaux wines. It runs $450, as I recall. You may not need to pay up for a bottle again house, however right here you may at the very least have a style.
3. Restaurant service, retail pricing. I’ve seen a few examples the place wanted wines like Domaine Leflaive Macon Verze, promoting for about $75 in US shops are promoting near that value onboard. We ordered it in December on our Caribbean cruise at about $75.00. (We noticed it on a NYC wine record priced about $210.) Chateau Musar, a well-known wine from Lebanon is priced about $60 in US shops and $75 onboard. There are some positive wine bargains if you realize the place to look.
4. The worth searching for wine fan has loads of selection. One other matter readers write to Wine Spectator about is the necessity for options on fairly priced wines. The wine record on Cunard ships gives loads of wines priced beneath $45. As I recall, Muscadet, a preferred white wine from the Loire Valley in France, runs within the low $30’s onboard. I’ve typically thought, if we took the world cruise, we may drink totally different “underneath $45 bottles” earlier than we wanted to start out repeating them.
5. Cunard anticipates passenger preferences. Now suppose you might be German, crusing from Hamburg and that is your first Cunard voyage. You want wine however favor German wine as a result of it’s acquainted. Cunard is aware of they should inventory loads of Riesling as a result of it’s Germany’s most well-known grape varietal.
6. You understand actual champagne. Sure, you realize Prosecco is fashionable. The Spanish are doing wonders with Cava. You understand true champagne solely comes from the Champagne area of France. The Queen Mary 2 has a Laurent Perrier Champagne Bar and that is the featured champagne onboard. A bottle runs about $80, served at your desk. Are you able to get an $80 champagne in a restaurant again house? No.
7. You want wine and meals pairings. On each voyage, Cunard does a lunch and be taught. The Verandah Steakhouse is the venue for a 5 course multi wine occasion lasting about 2.5 hours. After we sit down at dinner on the primary night time, I ask: “When is the lunch and be taught” and guide my slot. It’s priced about $80/individual. Each the wine and meals are nice. As a bonus, I’ve met actually fascinating folks too.
8. The upper finish wine tasting. Our wine steward instructed me in regards to the $120/head wine tasting. There was no meal, solely canapes. It was a sit-down occasion. As a substitute of accommodating dozens, just like the lunch and be taught, it was restricted to about ten folks! $120 isn’t low-cost! Why would it not be value it? I gave it a strive. They opened about eight wines, all pinot noirs. Half had been from the best priced pinot noir area on the planet, Burgundy. It’s a chance to strive wines you would wish to spend so much to accumulate in any other case.
9. Does port final endlessly? I’ve heard it stated the one factor you are able to do to break a bottle of port is to hit it towards the facet of a ship. (FYI: Champagne is used for christenings.) Port is a fortified wine, that means it has some brandy added. It’s a purple wine loved over dessert or as a course in itself. The port bar on Queen Mary 2 has bottles courting again to 1840.
10. The bin finish record. Wine lists typically change with the seasons. Wines come off the record. Now and again, the ship places collectively an inventory of those wines, promoting them at a reduction. Ask your wine steward if the bin finish record is offered. We’ve found some good finds, requested what number of bottles they’ve and ordered upfront for future meals on the voyage.
11. No gross sales tax. Once you purchase wine in a restaurant again house, gross sales tax is a part of the fee. In some cities it may be 9% plus. At sea, you haven’t any gross sales tax, though you do have an computerized gratuity added.
12. You’ll be able to convey your cellar treasures. As a positive wine fan, you’ve got bottles you’ve got been saving for a special day. The positive print within the passage contract mentions passengers are allowed to convey one or two bottles for particular events. These can solely be consumed in your cabin or the eating room. The ship costs a modest $25 corkage charge. When I’ve requested in NYC, corkage is $50/bottle. (or larger) You need to pair your positive wine with a positive meal. Now could be your likelihood.

As an FYI, we share our positive wines with out tablemates. We additionally go away a couple of quarter of the bottle for the sommelier and their teammates to style at their leisure. Wine followers wish to share and it builds goodwill.

For extra details about Cunard Line and Cunard ships Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and Queen Anne, click on right here https://www.cruisecompete.com/strains/cunard_cruises.html

Cowl Photograph: credit score Bryce Sanders