Wine has become an integral accompaniment to any cuisine and provides a wonderful option for an eat and drink experience, especially by way of a cruise.
Food and wine cruises are aimed to provide diverse and varied signature dishes, paired with deluxe wines, in order to enable cruise travelers to discover different cultural and social aspects of the places they visit.
Wine and dine themed voyages, provide an enhanced gourmet dining experience for connoisseurs of expensive limited edition wines and exquisite cuisine prepared by celebrity chefs.
Apart from the cruise deal that enables travelers to experience different cultures at each port of call, they focus on local food traditions, wine appreciation and dining etiquette, all included in the gastronomic voyage.
The experience also features onboard cookery courses, tasting session tips and recipes for creating authentic local dishes. Le Cordon Bleu Chefs are always on hand on such themed cruises to help and offer instructions.
Expert tasters are also available onboard to guide the “gourmet guests” through the different grape varieties and discuss and teach the art of wine tasting. Fine dining in these types of cruises will only enhance your exquisite tasting experience.
So if you are inspired by culinary offerings, there are great chances to find a cruise deal that is fit for you, especially with the rapid rise of food-themed cruises undertaken by top luxury ships.
Suggested Wine & Dine Cruise
Southampton, England, is not only a city full of surprises, but one of the largest ports in entire Europe. Located on the South coast of England, the city has a lot to offer for those who are visiting for a day, or spending time before boarding a cruise.
To enjoy the richness of the ocean and some robust cuisine, board a cruise in Southampton, for Portugal, famous for its crispy white and fiery red port wine and where vineyards are found dotted all over the hillsides.
As you sail into Lisbon, you will find this quintessential Portuguese capital city full of surprises and natural beauty, not to forget the sublime climate to be found anywhere on the planet.
During your onshore excursion, you will get an opportunity to visit Quinta da Bacalhoa, for a delectable wine tasting tour and at the same time explore the beautiful Palace to learn about centuries of the country’s history.
This 15th century palace, was once a home to the Portuguese royalty and has since been converted in the 20th century into a winemaking outlet. Sample three different Muscatel wines of the Setubal region, including the famous red in the Quinta da Bacalhoa wine cellars.
In Lisbon, you will find plenty of Portuguese delicacies in restaurants around the city. Make a beeline to the nearest food truck and follow the locals as they savor a bifana, a pork sandwich marinated in white wine and garlic sauce.
Then relish a snack of delicious sardines, paired with a glass of wine, or grab a pasteis de nata, a popular egg tart which comes stuffed with cinnamon flavored custard inside a crispy shell.
