Wine & Dine: Cruise Edition

Some of the members of our Wine & Dine club were lucky enough to be able to go on an Alaskan Cruise recently!  We missed those other members that couldn't join us, so I'm bringing the wines we had at dinner, and during out wine tastings to them!  All the wines we ordered with dinners were within the $25-$30 range on the ship, so I'm guessing these could be found in stores for between $10 and $15.

 Bryann and I enjoyed this Rosemount Shiraz from Australia during one of the nights where we both ordered a beef-centered dinner.  It paired well with our meals - it was bold enough to stand out against the beef, but not too abrasive. 

We also ordered this Bolla Valpolicella from Italy with dinner during Italian Night.  Our waiters and waitresses dressed in adorable stripped shirts with handkerchiefs tied around their necks and the dinner was completely Italian themed.  The Valpolicella was mild and light and accompanied my Fettuccine Alfredo quite nicely!

The Sylvester "Kiara" Cabernet Sauvignon from California was dry, yet flavorful.  It wasn't quite as good as the Santa Carolina Cabernet from Chile we'd had a few nights prior, but it was a tasty alternative.  I'm a cab girl though, so I'm a bit biased towards them to begin with.  

We also did a Maître d' Wine Club on the first day-at-sea.  I don't remember all of what we tasted -- looking back, I'm kicking myself for not keeping the tasting menu and my notes -- but the wines that stand out are the wines I think Princess is most famous for serving.  

The Opus One was the most talked about, and most expensive wine on our list.  Opus One, which has a rather interesting story on it's rather fancy website (found here), makes only one wine from its vintage, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.  We tasted the most recent 2008 vintage, and I gotta admit...  It was pretty scrumptious.  I've seen rumors amidst the internets that you can find Opus One at Costco from time to time... you know, just in case you want to grab a bottle and then invite me over for dinner!

Bryann and I also really liked the Sylvester "Nikiara" Meritage.  This was a blend, much like Opus One, of Cabernet, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot.  It was incredibly well balanced, fruity and spicy and chocolatey all at the same time, and very, very, melt-in-your-mouth drinkable.