Carnival’s progressive wine list makes choosing a wine to go with your dinner simple. The list groups wines by categories such as “full-bodied reds” and “full-bodied dry whites.” If your taste buds crave a slightly sweet wine, you have several choices, including California Zinfandels, Washington Rieslings and similar wines from Germany and France. If a full-bodied red is your favorite with a juicy filet mignon, the list’s choices range from a classic California Cabernet Sauvignon to a trendy Australian Shiraz. Each “Fun Ship” restaurant offers more than 32 wines by the glass and many more by the bottle.
For the record, feel free to enjoy a glass of white wine with your steak. In fact, your Carnival cruise wine list includes several bold, fuller-bodied white wines, including some popular Napa Valley Chardonnays, that work well with red meat.
Wine Information at a Glance
Wine-Tasting Terminology
Dry? Full-bodied? Crisp? If you haven’t ventured far into wine-tasting territory, don’t worry. Read on for a crash course in wine-tasting confidence that explains these and other terms.
Bodytells you whether the wine feels full or light in your mouth.
Bouquet,or aroma, refers to the way the wine smells. Typically, older wines have a bouquet; younger wines have an aroma.
Crisp denotes brisk acidity, desirable in white wines. Soft means lower acidity, a smoother taste and a fruity, mellow wine.
Dry tells you the wine isn’t sweet.
Finish is the wine’s final flavor and texture after you’ve swallowed.
Fruity refers to a wine with fruit aromas and flavors but doesn’t denote sweetness.
Oaky describes the toasty, vanilla aroma or flavor of a wine aged in oak barrels.
To Swirl or Not to Swirl
Swirling, sniffing and swishing all go hand in hand with sipping your wine, so follow these simple tips for wine-tasting enjoyment:
- Hold your glass by the stem. If you cradle the bowl, the wine’s temperature and taste could change.
- Examine the wine’s color and clarity to enjoy the color and the moment.
- Swirl the wine to see if it has legs or tears—narrow rivulets that cling to the sides of the glass. Slower-moving legs indicate a wine that’s rich and full-bodied.
- Stick your nose in the glass and inhale deeply to understand the wine’s traits. Typical aromas include fruits, herbs, chocolate and even grass and tobacco.
- Take a sip, then move the wine around in your mouth for up to 10 seconds before swallowing and exhaling slowly. If you sip too quickly, you’ll miss the complex sensations of a good wine.
Try Something New
Carnival’s restaurant wine list includes wines from five continents and identifies the growing region in which each wine is produced. This information can help you understand the locations where a particular grape is best nurtured. Even if you haven’t spent a lot of time learning about wines and their regions of origin, you can get a lot out of tasting a new wine.
“Don’t be intimidated by a new wine; just enjoy it,” Shea says. “At the end of the day, it’s all about sharing a passion for the grape.”
To further develop that passion, it helps to keep track of your favorite wines when you discover them, says Carnival president and CEO Bob Dickinson, a connoisseur whose own wine cellar contains about 20,000 bottles.
“If you’re out to dinner and enjoying a good wine, ask to see the label,” Dickinson says. “Have a small notebook and pencil handy to write down the name of the wine and the grape so you can find it again.”
Grape Expectations on Board
Fine wines are served in the main restaurants on all “Fun Ships,” but now most Carnival ships also feature expanded wine menus and wine bars, where guests can choose from more than 30 wine offerings. And wine lovers can enjoy a third element of Carnival’s evolving wine program in the Supper Clubs featured on eight ships. Here, entrées such as prime steak, lobster tail and whole Dover sole can be paired with select, limited-availability wines.
No matter how great your wine-tasting expectations, they will be surpassed by the onboard experience. “We want to be everything to everybody when it comes to wine,” Paul Shea says. “Many of our guests are wine savvy, and those who aren’t are bound to be intrigued and become more involved in the wine because of our offerings.”
Savor New Wines at Sea and at Home
If you’d like to explore the world of wine with Bob Dickinson, join Carnival’s first Presidential Wine Club Cruise on December 4 aboard the new Carnival Liberty. The ship will sail the Western Caribbean for six days, and guests will enjoy special food-and-wine-tasting events throughout the journey. Members of the Wine Club will be invited to exclusive events during the wine cruise. Call 1-866-299-5862 or see your travel professional to book this special cruise. Be sure to mention promotion code CPWC (or CPW2 for Wine Club members).
Joining the Presidential Wine Club gives past guests an opportunity to sample some of Dickinson’s favorite wines and to shop for wine bargains at the club’s online store. Membership is $39.99 per month, plus shipping, and includes two bottles of Dickinson-recommended wine, delivered to your door every month. To learn more about the Presidential Wine Club, visit presidentialwineclub.com, or call 1-888-292-2582. |
