XBGuy

Since hiking boots have been mentioned, I might point out that there are several hiking trails in Skagway. I have done the two on the left side of the map (circled). I have not needed hiking boots for either--good sneakers worked fine. The one at the bottom of the map gets fairly steep. This septuagenarian was huffing and puffing but made it up to the lake. Coming down is when I was really grateful for good grip on the soles of my feet. I agree that good hiking boots would have given me even more security. The trail across the river is not nearly as challenging. There are additional trails near the cemetery off to the right of the map. I have never ventured out that way. The price is right--free. Regarding the "must pack" list, I have nothing to add, but would like to emphasize binoculars. It will probably rain. We usually pack one of those collapsing umbrellas.

@Heartgrove In 36+ years at the Diamond Bar casa, we have had the water pressure regulator replaced twice--most recently, last January when the inside pressure was measured at 85 psi. It is a mechanical device, and, not surprisingly, its effectiveness declines over the years.

I'm not sure I understand why you quoted my post as a preamble to your statements. I never made any comment about cost or previous storage.

On reprovisioning runs to Costco i will usually check out the seafood section. Occasionally, no more than once a year, I will grab a package of 3 or 4 lobster tails. I have no idea what species they are. My main interest is to have something a little different. I just throw them on the backyard grill for a very easy preparation. Ease of preparation notwithstanding, my lobster tails are better than the ones I have had on Princess cruises. I have only ordered lobster tails once on a cruise. More than once I have finished up the lobster tails that Mrs. XBGuy ordered. They are always “chewy”—presumably, overcooked. I once made the mistake of going to the dining room and ordering Alaska King Crab. Same result—chewy. Tragically, this was after our stop in Juneau.

The “I’ll pass” response that several Dailyites have given to the suggestion of having a glass of Chenin Blanc has given me a chuckle. In the 1970s it was easy to find California made Chenin Blanc. Multiple high volume producers made it—and it was cheap. A semi-regular date for the XBGuys was to drop by Giuliano’s and grab a large Giulio sandwich, a bag of chips and a Sebastiano Chenin Blanc. We would then head to the Hollywood Bowl with our picnic for a concert with the Los Angeles Phil. Chenin Blanc was a good choice because it was cheap. However, the sweetest always bothered me. As the 1970s progressed and Americans became more interested in wine Chardonnay emerged as the preferred white wine (if not the preferred wine). Winemakers understood this. So, Chardonnay production increased and Chenin Blanc production declined. Not particularly enjoying the sweetness of Chenin Blanc, this did not bother me, and for quite a few years I don’t think I had any Chenin Blanc. Just a few years ago, I noticed that some of my favorite low-volume producers were releasing Chenin Blanc wines, and, so, I tried a few. Happily, these wines are fermented completely dry—a terrific, light-bodied, refreshing wine. The French region most celebrated for Chenin Blanc is Vouvray in the Loire Valley. Vouvray has that sweetness that does not appeal to me. However, I have found that Vouvray Sec is exactly what I like. (Yes, I know that the French word “sec” translates to the English “dry.” So, to Dailyites who do not care for Chenin Blanc but want to try a different white wine, I might suggest that they try a Vouvray Sec. I have been able to find examples at retail stores such as Total Wine, And, yes, I am aware that a few weeks ago I posted that I do not care for Riesling that is fermented completely dry. I guess I am an enigma.

You seem to be implying that you can carry-on four bottles, pay the corkage charge on two or three of them, and nobody will notice the four bottles in your suitcase. All baggage is X-Rayed prior to delivery to the passenger's cabin. If the security person reviewing the X-Ray images notes an anomaly (e.g., a fairly large bottle that might contain liquid), that suitcase will not be delivered to the passenger's cabin. Rather it will be diverted to a security area usually referred to here on Cruise Critic as "the Naughty Room." There have been numerous reports from Princess passengers of being summoned to this security area where they have been asked to open a suitcase that had not been delivered to their cabin. Invariably, the suitcase contained bottles of wine. The corkage fee is charged on the spot, and the passenger is allowed to take the suitcase to his room. If the anomaly turns out to be spirits, the bottle would be confiscated by the security personnel, and returned to the passenger at the end of the cruise. Apparently, the same thing happens with cases of wine that are left at the pier for the porters to load. I would hope that any person who left five cases at the pier would be able to get some assistance in toting those five cases to their cabin.

So, you are saying that you could bring wine aboard without paying a corkage fee? That was certainly a very friendly policy for wine drinkers. How long ago was that? My first Princess cruise was in 2011, and it seems to me that they had a $15/bottle corkage charge when I first started. Of course, it was raised to $20/bottle a few years ago.

McCormick & Kuleto's, by chance? Did you live/work in San Francisco? In my working days I made semi-regular trips to San Francisco and would often stay at the Fisherman's Wharf Holiday Inn. I loved that there were so many dining options at all kinds of price points and were an easy walk from the hotel. I could always impress out-of-state associates by suggesting McCormick & Kuleto's at Ghiradelli Square. In-state associates always were up for the Buena Vista for Irish Coffees--not really my thing, but I am a team player. I could always get lots of husband points by visiting the Ghiradelli store and brining home one of those giant peanut butter cups.

??? Are you saying that they are now requiring that passengers carry on the wine instead of having porters load it? The official printed policy has always been that passengers were allowed to carry on their own wine. However, over the years I have read multiple reports where passengers have dropped off cases of wine with luggage tags attached and the porters have loaded them. To my knowledge there has been no change in the Princess policy limiting the number of personal wines that can be brought on board, So, from your statement I am wondering if they are insisting that if a passenger wants to bring a case of wine on board, he cannot check it at the pier with a porter. Can you please provide some clarification?

Since the Star Princess has not been launched, yet, I don't think you can get an absolute "Yes or No" answer from anybody. It appears that the Star Princess' maiden voyage is scheduled for October 2025. However, there is evidence that there will not be a Vines wine bar on the Star Princess. If you go to the Princess web site where they discuss the features of the Star Princess, there is a page on Restaurants and Bars. Vines is not listed, There have been a couple "Live From" reports from Cruise Critic contributors on the Sun Princess which is the sister ship to the Star Princess. It seems to me, and, if my memory is incorrect, you have my apology, that at least one correspondent reported that there is no Vines on the Sun Princess. I can tell you that there is no Vines on the Discovery Princess. I can't speak authoritatively, but I don't think Vines has been removed from any of the other ships.

Keep in mind that "canapes" and "hors d'oeuvres" are not synonyms. Canapes are hors d'oeuvres, but not all hors d'oeuvres are canapes. I have often had the canapes on Princess cruises and have enjoyed them quite a bit. Over the years, though, I have seen many posts here on the Cruise Critic Princess board denigrating the canapes. I suspect that some may have incorrect expectations. They are disappointed when they are offered a toast point with whipped cream cheese and a bay shrimp when they were expecting Shrimp Rumaki. And, yes, I am very much enjoying your reports.

😖 I have an online friend who has a similar problem, He lives in Kentucky, but he has a friend who lives across the border in Indiana and can get some wines shipped there.

Where do I start? I have already confessed that I am a California Wioe Bigot. Drilling down, a bit, I love California Cabernet Sauvignons--especially, ones from Napa Valley. Interestingly enough, on many internet wine boards Napa Valley Cabs are frowned upon as being over-extracted fruit bombs. I can easily point to examples that support that claim, but this generalization, like most generalizations, is faulty. I mentioned Thomas Rivers Brown (TRB) a few days ago. He was raised in South Carolina and studied Economics and English Literature at the University of Virginia, but, somehow, he became one of the most highly regarded winemakers in California, He has been involved as winemaker or consulting winemaker for, at least, 40 different labels, including such well-regarded (dare I say "cult) labels as Maybach, Outpost and Shrader. Rivers-Marie is the "family" winery. Marie is his wife, Genevieve Marie Walsh. Rivers-Marie offers Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir varietal wines. (Many feel that the Pinot Noir is TRB's best wine, but I would dispute that opinion and favor his Cabernet Sauvignon.) Most of their wines are single-vineyard designated, although, as you can see from the label, this one is Napa Valley appellation designated. Here are notes that I jotted down when I tried this wine a few weeks ago. Dark ruby red color in the glass. Dark fruit aromas--not, at all, unusual for a Napa Valley CS. Expecting dark fruit on the tongue, I was a bit surprised to perceive moderate levels of mixed dark/red fruit, I then realized that this wine is quite mellow--very light levels of both tannin and acid, It is a mouth filling wine with a moderate length finish, I thought it was a terrific wine and asked Mrs. XBGuy if she would like a taste as we were enjoying our pre-dinner sip 'n' snack. She really liked it to the point that she abandoned her regular Chardonnay with our dinner and had a glass of this.

Well, I am stumped on this one. With a quick internet search I learned that there are a handful of California makers of Vermouth, but I have no familiarity with any of them. So, I'll go off on a tangent. Vermouth is a fortified wine--as is Port. There are a number of California wineries that produce Ports alongside their standard unfortified offerings. Ficklin produces only Port. Ficklin is Californiia's oldest Port maker -- established in 1946. I am really not much of a Port drinker. As you can see, it looks like I have held on to this one for about forty years. However, I think a glass of Port would be excellent with a Chocolate Raspberry Tart--especially, an "unhealthy" one.

Another SB. I have to admit, I do enjoy Washington wines. I can't say, however, that I have ever had a Washington Sauvignon Blanc. I am going to go somewhat sideways, today, and propose a wine that is made from a grape descended from Sauvignon Blanc. Robin Akhurst is a Scotsman who decided he wanted to be a winemaker. He sold his motorcycle and went to France where he worked in vineyards and wineries in Burgundy and Languedoc. He then traveled to the antipodes where he worked in Barossa Valley (Australia) and Marlborough (New Zealand) and earned a post-graduate degree in viticulture and enology at Lincoln University in Christchurch. He then came to the Napa Valley where he apprenticed for two "rock star" caliber winemakers, Thomas Rivers Brown and Mike Smith. (I have dropped these names in the past few days. Someday, I will spend more time on each of them.) Presumably, this is where he learned about the magnificence of California Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Robin Akhurst is the winemaker for Clos Pegase Winery, Swanson Vineyards, Paula Kornell Sparkling Wines and various others. All of these are excellent labels, but I find that Akhurst's best efforts are from his own winery, Apsara Cellars. Apsara production runs are quite small, The largest one I can recall is 150 cases. If you can read the front label of this one, it is a production of 25 cases. That is not very much wine. It is highly unusual to find Apsara on a brick and mortar retail store, but there are usually some wines available at the Apsara Cellars website. About a year ago, I received an email from announcing the release of this wine. It seems that a friend, who just happened to be a vineyard owner, called and asked if he would like some Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Robin asked when the grapes would be ready for harvest, and the answer was, "Now." He called some friends, and that weekend they drove down to Santa Clara Valley and picked grapes. Notice that the vineyard is not identified on the label. Presumably, the arrangement was that the vineyard not be identified. The designation "Cuvee Z" is a shout out to Akhurst's daughter, Zahra. I have a couple bottles of this wine in my inventory, It will, probably, be a while, yet. before I get around to them.

As I go deeper into these "California wine alternative" posts, you are all going to learn about several of my wine prejudices. Here are a couple. As proud as I am about California wines, I think that the best Riesling wines are from Germany. Riesling is supposed to have some level of sweetness. I really do not like dry Riesling wines. I do know that my opinion is narrow-minded and, I actually appreciate the fact that the opinion of others may not agree with me. All that notwithstanding, I found that I had this wine q few years ago. I did find a few notes of my impression of this wine: An off-dry Riesling. Somewhat viscous mouthfeel. Honeysuckle and greeen apple on the tongue, but counterbalanced by acid tartness. Some mid-palate minerality. Suggestion of lime on the finish. The Cole Vineyard is located in the California North Coast--which can be anywhere from Mendocino County to the Oregon border. This is one of my very favorite wineries. Mrs. XBGuy and I have to run errands, today. So, I will save talk more about Bedrock another time.

Seconding @cat shepard's comment regarding the difficulty of obtaining this BC wine in the United States, I have an online acquaintance who lives in Victoria and regularly reports on local wines that I will never get to try. My sum experience with BC wines is from port stops in Victoria and Vancouver--a Syrah and a Sauvignon Blanc. Both were quite good.. There are a handful of California makers who bottle Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio, but I cannot remember the last time I had one, So, today I am going to post a Semillon wine. I recently posted a Sauvignon Blanc from Quivet Cellars made from McGah Vineyard grapes. Notice that this wine is sourced from the same vineyard. Also, notice that this wine is from the same winemaker, Mike Smith (another of my favorites.) A single variety Semillon bottling is a tad unusual. It is normally blended with other grapes--more often than not, Sauvignon Blanc. However, I love the crispness of this wine. It is a terrific summer sipper.

@CPs4591, the Chef's Table accommodation of dietary restrictions seems to be dependent on the ship's management. There have been reports, here on Cruise Critic, where such accommodations have been made, and there have been reports that no accommodations have been made. My suggestion to you is to make your request to attend. If you do receive an invitation, then ask your question.

Another Sauvignon Blanc. Here is a Napa Valley blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Mending Wall Wines is owned and operated by a partnership that includes renowned winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, known in the Wine Geekdom as TRB. I'm sure that I will be offering quite a few more wines by him and from some of his apprentices. The winery is a very attractive facility off the Silverado Trail on the eastern side of Napa Valley. It barely ducked the disastrous 2020 brush fires. BTW, to the various English and literature teachers, yes, the winery name is in reference to the Robert Frost poem. Here are notes that I posted on this 2021 Stone on Stone. Serious oaky bouquet--caramel, tropical fruit--on the nose. While I did not seem to get those flavors on the tongue directly, there were lots of retro nasal sensations under the rear palate--pineapple, kiwi, banana. To me this wine seemed more like an oaky California Chardonnay that a typical Semillon-Sauvignon blend that would come from the Bordeaux region. I thought that this would be the kind of wine Mrs. XBGuy (all Chardonnay, all the time) would like. I was right.

It's hard to beat Costco prices. The winery sells the very same wine that I posted for $24. Buying from the winery is usually more expensive that buying from a retail store. If you don't mind the imposition, give the Zinfandel a try. As I said, Dry Creek Valley, is Zinfandel Country. OK, any Sonoma County area--Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Moon Mountain, Rockpile, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Valley--is Zinfandel Country.

Until today, I was totally unfamiliar with this wine. OK, there are probably hundreds of thousands of wine with which I have no familiarity. A big "Thank you" to @richwmn and, especially, @cat shepard for bringing this wine to my attention. Tempranillo is another grape that is pretty hard, if not impossible, to find in California vineyards. About ten years ago I read that Texas was thought to be a good environment for Tempranillo. and multiple vineyards have been planted. Wines from those plantings are now coming onto the market. A few weeks ago I picked up this red blend wine at my local Costco for $10. WOW, for $10, this wine is terrific. I was very pleased to see that they still had it on my last visit a few days ago, and, so, I bought three more bottles. While there is no disclosure of the grape variety of this red blend, Dry Creek Valley is, definitely "Zinfandel Country." So, I would imagine that this is a "Zinfandel heavy" blend--not unlike the Lytton Springs bottling that I discussed a week, or so, ago, which is also located in Dry Creek Valley. Notice on the front label that Pedroncelli Winery has been "family owned since 1927." (A California winery/vineyard founded by Italian immigrants. What a surprise. NOT!) The third generation of the family has been operating the winery since the 1990s.

Mrs. XBGuy just sent this to me. (It wasn't a long distance transmission, It just came upstairs from the family room.)

Another SB. I have to agree, though, that Sancerre is truly excellent wine. Oh wow. Sancerre with shellfish. That sounds so good to me. Girard is a well-known winery and is fairly well-distributed. (That is about all I know about this winery.) From the back label I would conclude that this wine is fermented similar to the traditional Sancerre style. I purchased this one just a couple days ago at Costco for $15. I look forward to enjoying this with "mussels, clams, scallops and crustaceans of any sort." In fact, I know we have mussels packaged with some sort of sauce in the freezer. Boil some pasta, and I think we have a winner. Napa Valley is, of course, highly regarded for its red wines--mostly, those associated with "Bordeaux grapes," but I find Napa Valley white wines to be quite good. Mrs. XBGuy loves various Napa Chardonnays,

Barolo is one of the world's truly great wines. I do have a few bottles in my inventory, but I rarely buy it anymore. Barolo likes years in the bottle--decades may be preferable--and my current drinking horizon does not extend that far. I have an old online wine buddy by the name of Foxall who is really passionate about Barolo. Foxall lives in Northern California. He is convinced that there has to be a spot somewhere in this state where good Nebbiolo can be grown, and that was his quest. While Nebbiolo is not completely unknown in California vineyards, nobody has made a wine that might be considered the equivalent of, even, an "average" Barolo. I last saw Foxall in October, and it seems that he has changed his goal. He now plans to retire in 2024, and he wants to move to Italy--specifically, Puglia. Stay tuned for updates. Over the years, I have had no more that five or six domestic Nebbiolo wines. This is the only one in my current inventory. Sandlands is the personal project of Tegan Passalacqua. Zinfandel fans may know of him as the Director of Winemaking at the Turley Winery. With Sandlands, Passalacqua offers well-made wines at a pretty reasonable price--it looks like I paid $38 for this one--and, often, from under represented grape varieties, e,g., Carignane. Cinsault. Mencia. I cannot recall ever seeing a single-vineyard designated wine from Sandlands. (Notice this one is designated Sonoma County.) However, I would not be surprised if this wine was sourced from a single highly regarded vineyard. Passalacqua is very well connected in the industry--from both his position at Turley and his participation in the Historic Vineyard Society. I would not be surprised at all if he purchases most of the grapes for Sandlands under non-disclosure agreements in which he gets favorable pricing. (That is my conjecture, only, So, take it with a grain of salt.) While I mentioned that Barolo is best with lengthy aging, CellarTracker's opinion is that the drinking window for this wine opens up in 2024. I will probably hold on to this one a bit longer. Drinking windows are opinions, not facts.

Another Sauvignon Blanc? OK, I'll propose another Arnot-Roberts. This one sourced from a vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains--about a four hour drive south of the Yorkville Highlands region of the A-R SB that I posted here about two weeks ago, I found notes for this wine that I posted on an online board. Yes, I know that my notes are not the glittery prose that most wine reviewers perfect for their audience. I am beginning to come to the opinion that you can include the word "lean" the characterization of any Arnot-Roberts wine. This wine is a crystal clear pale yellow in the glass. Some serious grassy aroma--no surprise for a California SB. Quite tart on the tongue--a strong suggestion of lime pith. Light and refreshing. As I said, lean.