Steve and Cathy's Blog

The Pacific continues to remind us just how small one ship can be on this vast ocean, and moves the ship around enough to make the day a bit uncomfortable but certainly not enough to deter us from participating in certain activities – like eating and drinking.

Today’s special event is the Around The World Winetasting.  Our joining in this event was a result of yesterday’sO’Dell Winetasting.  We were in just the right frame of mind to sign up when the sommelier asked us if we would like to go.  “Sure!” was our response and, before we knew it, we were purchasing two tickets.

The event began at 1:00pm in Toscana, and was arranged differently than all of the rest of the wine tastings that have been presented throughout the voyage – none of which we attended.  I guess at all the others, you are seated at a table and the wines are already poured in glasses, ready for you to taste.  There are usually five or so wines for each tasting, and the sommelier spends about ten minutes telling you about the wine you are about to taste.

Today, we arrive and are given a sheet of paper listing the wines and their location at one of four tables, or “stations.”  Station One is Northern Europe; Station Two is Southern Europe; Station Three is United States and Station Four is South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina.

The head sommelier welcomes us, introduces the other sommeliers (one at each station) and suggests the order of sampling.  There is plenty of delicious food prepared for us to enjoy with the wines as well: huge shrimp in tiny dishes with a dab of cocktail sauce, brie slices with cream cheese in between (can you imagine?), carpaccio on crostini, Serrano ham, smoked salmon, caviar, chicken pate, olives, manchego, tons of stuff, including slices of foie gras to go with the sauternes. We are handed a glass and off we go. There are seventeen wines to sample – seventeen!  Brian O’Dell immediately sets his goal, which is to try all seventeen.  Cathy and I start with our favorite: Chateau Mont-Redon Chateauneuf du Pape.  It’s also pretty much the only one Steve is familiar with, as Cathy reminds him that we actually won a case of it at a CPTV wine auction about fifteen years ago.

For the next two hours, we sample wines, listen to the sommeliers as they pour each wine and chat with our friends.  Toward the end of the event, we are invited to try what was voted Third Best In The World in 2017.

The rest of the day includes Cigar Time (Brian O’Dell’s stamina is incredible!).  The day ends early.  There is a good reason we had bypassed all the previous winetasting, and it became very clear to us by 7:30pm.  Time for bed.