Silversea Uncorks 11 Wine Cruises in 2009
January 7, 2009 By: Luxury Travel Advisor
Oenophiles will want to take note of Silversea Cruises this year. The luxury cruise line will offer 11 Wine Series voyages for 2009. On each cruise, guests will enjoy a sampling of high-end vintages, while also learning about the tradition and art of making wine in special tastings and lectures conducted by wine professionals, vineyard owners and other specialists in the field. Famed wineries will include California's Justin and Wente, Italy's Castello Banfi and Santa Alicia Winery in Chile. Added Bonus: Shore excursions will explore celebrated wine regions.
Luxe Touch: It's not all about wine, either. Of special note is the participation of fashion icon Salvatore Ferragamo (he owns Il Borro, an award-winning wine estate in Tuscany), who will host Silver Wind's July 6 wine-themed sailing from Lisbon to Monte Carlo.
Here is a list of Silversea's wine cruises by region:
Alaska & Pacific Coast
Silver Shadow departs July 20 on a 12-day, roundtrip voyage from San Francisco with calls in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Wrangell and Victoria. Hosts: Eric and Arel Wente, owners of California's Wente Vineyards.
Then, Silver Shadow departs August 25 on a nine-day, roundtrip voyage from Vancouver with calls in Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Wrangell and Victoria. Host: Master Sommelier Joe Spellman of California's Justin Vineyards and Winery.
Mediterranean
Silver Wind departs May 28 on a nine-day voyage from Monte Carlo to Athens with calls in Livorno, Sorrento, Crete, Santorini, Rhodes, Kusadasi and Bodrum. Host: Stanislas Marchal, public relations representative for Vranken-Pommery Monopole.
Silver Whisper departs July 4 on a seven-day voyage from Venice to Athens with calls in Split, Kotor, Corfu and Itea. Host: Georges Muller of Riedel Crystal, an expert on pairing wines with stemware.
Then, Silver Wind departs July 6 on a 12-day voyage from Lisbon to Monte Carlo with calls in Cadiz, Malaga, Ibiza, Barcelona (overnight), Cannes, Menton, Livorno and Corsica. Host: Salvatore Ferragamo, owner and managing director of Il Borro estate, Tuscany, Italy.
Subsequently, Silver Wind departs August 14 on a seven-day voyage from Venice to Athens with calls in Hvar, Sibenik, Dubrovnik and Santorini. Host: Philip di Belardino, Castello Banfi Vineyard Estate & Winery, Montalcino, Tuscany.
Northern Europe & The Baltic
Silver Cloud departs June 25 on a nine-day, roundtrip voyage from Stockholm with calls in Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Gdansk. Host: Gary Eberle, owner of California's Eberle Winery.
Then, Silver Cloud departs August 26 on a 10-day, roundtrip voyage from London with calls in Edinburgh (overnight), Invergordon, Oban, Dublin, Cork and Fowey. Host: Gordon Bell, brand ambassador and master of Scotch whisky.
South America
Silver Cloud departs January 4 on a 16-day voyage from Santiago to Buenos Aires with calls in Puerto Montt, Puerto Chacabuco, Laguna San Rafael, Punta Arenas (overnight), Falkland Islands, Puerto Madryn, Punta del Este and Montevideo. Host: Daniel Soto, Santa Alicia Winery, Santiago, Chile. Voyage co-hosted by guest chef Luis Gonzalez Morales, chef/owner of El Remezon restaurant in Punta Arenas, Chile.
Then, Silver Cloud departs February 5 on a 16-day voyage from Santiago to Buenos Aires with calls in Puerto Montt, Laguna San Rafael, Punta Arenas (overnight), Ushuaia, Puerto Madryn and Montevideo. Hosts: Silvina Barros of Trivento Winery and Vineyards, Mendoza, Argentina; Fernando Mediano of Emiliana Vineyards, Casablanca Valley, Chile; and Jofre Duran of Concha y Toro Vineyards, Maipo Valley, Chile.
Transoceanic
Silver Cloud departs April 15 on a 15-day voyage from Barbados to London with calls in St. Lucia, Antigua, La Horta, Ponta Delgada, Falmouth and Cherbourg. Host: Trevor Burnett, brand ambassador for Grey Goose Vodka. Voyage co-hosted by guest chef of the Viking Cooking School.
