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Norwegian Announces 2023 Meet the Winemakers Series

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Norwegian Cruise Line announced a new Meet the Winemaker series. This program features winemakers and culinary experts sharing their expertise with a group of guests onboard the cruise line’s ships, according to a press release.

“We Meet the Winemaker series is back and better than ever,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line.

“Every year we aim to elevate this exclusive experience and I believe we’ve done just that as we enter the program’s seventh year with an impressive guest lineup. These unique sailings offer a rare opportunity to get one-on-one exposure to esteemed winemakers and their collection of wines, all while visiting multiple destinations and enjoying an unforgettable vacation aboard our innovative fleet.”

The Meet the Winemaker series gives wine enthusiasts and foodies a chance to engage with winemakers and other connoisseurs through seminars and activities. The program includes wine tastings, wine-paired dinners, interactive culinary demonstrations and meet-and-greets onboard the ships. Guests can also buy wines that are only available by visiting the wineries.

This year’s series includes special guest Emma Walker, who is a Master Blender at Johnnie Walker and leads the Johnnie Walker Whisky Specialist team based in Menstrie, Scotland. She will join guests onboard the Norwegian Prima on September 17, 2023, sailing in Northern Europe for the company’s first-ever Johnnie Walker cruise.

Additionally, Chef Ashley Breneman, executive chef at Certified Angus Beef, will join returning winemaker Antonio Hidalgo onboard the Norwegian Encore on July 9, 2023, sailing to Alaska.

Miguel Torres, a pioneer of planting Cabernet Sauvignon in Spain, will make his debut onboard the Norwegian Encores during its April 9, 2023, Eastern Caribbean voyage.

Hosts include celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez, Salvatore Ferragamo, Michael Mondavi of the Michael Mondavi Family Estate and “The Drinks Business” Master Winemaker of the Year 2023 recipient Gérard Bertrand, among other famous names.

2023 Meet the Winemaker series lineup includes the following:

  • April 2, 2023 – The Norwegian Bliss, Mexican Riviera with celebrity chef and TV personality Aaron Sanchez
  • April 9, 2023 – The Norwegian Encore, Eastern Caribbean with winemaker Miguel Torres
  • April 22, 202 – The Norwegian Bliss, Alaska with winemaker Salvatore Ferragamo of The Il Borro estate in Tuscany, Italy, producing world-class wines
  • June 10, 2023 – The Norwegian Bliss, Alaska with Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite Wine Dinner Hosted by Special Guest: Diane Flamand
  • July 9, 2023 – The Norwegian Encore, Alaska with Antonio Hidalgo of the Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana, and Chef Ashley Breneman 
  • Sept. 17, 2023 – The Norwegian Prima, Northern Europe with Master Blender, Emma Walker of  Johnnie Walker
  • Oct. 22, 2023 – The Norwegian Escape, Bermuda with Michael Mondavi of the Michael Mondavi Family Estate
  • Oct. 28, 2023 – The Norwegian Joy, Western Caribbean with Gérard Bertrand, “The Drinks Business” Master Winemaker of the Year 2023 recipient
  • Oct. 29, 2023 – The Norwegian Escape, Bermuda with Randy Ullom from the Kendall-Jackson family

Wine and cruises an increasingly popular pairing

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By Tom Stieghorst
*InsightCruise lines and wine seem like a pairing made for each other. There’s plenty of time at sea to get to know more about grapes, vineyards and the wine-making process.MSC Cruises has wine blending courses that passengers can take to learn how various grapes change the flavor and texture of a wine. Princess Cruises has a collection of super Tuscan wines on the Royal Princess and Regal Princess. In the dining room of its Solstice-class ships, Celebrity Cruises has a two-story, glass-and-steel wine tower holding 1,800 bottles.

The latest entrant in the wine appreciation sweepstakes is SeaDream Yacht Club, which has expanded a series of wine voyages for 2015 and is inaugurating a certification course in which passengers can become accredited by the London-based Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET).*TomStieghorst

The course is being offered for the first time on SeaDream I’s April trans-Atlantic crossing, which will allow enough time for the course work needed to take a level 2 WSET exam.

The cost for the course and exam will be $1,500, which largely underwrites the cost of buying wines to study, said Erica Landin, a Swedish wine journalist who has organized SeaDream’s wine program.

“For what you get it’s quite well-priced,” Landin said.

SeaDream’s season in the Med next summer will feature nine winemaker’s cruises, giving passengers access to top-level winemakers who will come on board for tastings, and dinners that pair food and wine.

The ship will also have excursions to vineyards and wineries where tours will be led by the owner or top winemaker at the chateaux.

Cruise ships aren’t the only way, or even the best way, for real aficionados to visit the great wine estates of Europe, but for groups it certainly offers more style than a bus tour. Ships can move from region to region, country to country with ease. SeaDream’s 112-passenger yachts can assemble groups big enough to command attention, yet small enough to be manageable.

And cruises also offer flexibility, so if one partner in a couple isn’t interested in wine, the other can pursue their passion without feeling like their spouse is being left behind.

“It should be enjoyable for people who are just onboard and who love wine and food,” Langin said. “It should be approachable for everyone. You can be as involved or not involved as you wish.”

And wine generally makes for good company and fellowship, Langin noted, adding to the camaraderie that a good cruise engenders among its passengers.

“My hope is this group will enjoy each other’s company in the evening, they’ll maybe have dinner together and share bottles in a more relaxed way than in the class,” Langin said.