Current Lists of Wine on Board (2022/23)

[lisiamc]

@federalexpress, I’ve been enjoying your wine posts very much. They are informative and thoughtful. My fear is that if Azamara get a graven-in-stone wine list, it will all be from big producers who have a reliable but boring product and can ship large quantities all year round. I’d love to see Azamara have a small core group of (possibly boring but dependable) wines, sort of like the Always Available food menu, and then some “guest wines” picked up locally from smaller producers, or as a remainder like the Tattinger. Some of them might be less than wonderful, but there might be some real stars, too.

[wjfan417]

28 minutes ago, lisiamc said:

@federalexpress, I’ve been enjoying your wine posts very much. They are informative and thoughtful. My fear is that if Azamara get a graven-in-stone wine list, it will all be from big producers who have a reliable but boring product and can ship large quantities all year round. I’d love to see Azamara have a small core group of (possibly boring but dependable) wines, sort of like the Always Available food menu, and then some “guest wines” picked up locally from smaller producers, or as a remainder like the Tattinger. Some of them might be less than wonderful, but there might be some real stars, too.

We were on Quest last year in Bordeaux,  Spain and Portugal last year and I was very disappointed that they didn’t bring any wines on board from those countries!

[federalexpress]

1 hour ago, lisiamc said:

@federalexpress, I’ve been enjoying your wine posts very much. They are informative and thoughtful. My fear is that if Azamara get a graven-in-stone wine list, it will all be from big producers who have a reliable but boring product and can ship large quantities all year round. I’d love to see Azamara have a small core group of (possibly boring but dependable) wines, sort of like the Always Available food menu, and then some “guest wines” picked up locally from smaller producers, or as a remainder like the Tattinger. Some of them might be less than wonderful, but there might be some real stars, too.

 

I'm not at all an expert in cruise ship logistics, I imagine they would be challenging at the best of times, but when things settle down, I think there is much merit in your suggestion, indeed nothing I've written would preclude that. Having a core of wines mixed in with a portion of locally bought wine makes a lot of sense, is very much 'on brand' and would appeal to me too. It's clearly possible because as I said, they are doing this right now on Pursuit, albeit it feels in a haphazard way.

 

I actually feel that the Ste Michelle portfolio would be a decent option for some of these core wines. Looking at their website, they cover much more than the main Ste Michelle estate (which are themselves fairly decent wines), especially adding in the Italian producer connections. Some good stuff there. 

 

Large producers can and do make good wine. That said, AZ is a small cruise line and its demands are relatively modest. Assuming 12 different wines, the demand for Ultimate wines would be around 1500 cases per year per wine. But that assumes a 25% or so take up of the package and an average of 1 bottle of wine consumed per day. Having been on board Pursuit, I don't think the demand is close to that. The vast majority just drink the included drinks and the rest seem to use the package more for spirits and cocktails. My impression is that wine lovers are more of a rarity on AZ than I had imagined. I suspect we are actually talking at most several hundred cases per year for each wine, which allows for smaller scale producers, especially if there are 2 rotations a year.

 

So I think whether large or small producer, it will come down to cost versus quality. Maybe good large producers have an edge there but I agree there is plenty of scope for smaller producers and local wines to feature as 'specials'.

 

But whatever they do, the one thing that urgently needs fixing is their capability to actually list what they have. At the moment, the wine list itself is basically redundant, so much on it is not available, and I've stopped asking for it. Maybe they need to forget about expensively produced lists, at least for the Ultimate selection, and find a cheap onboard printing option that is easy to update, as they take new wines onboard and change the offering. I would have thought it pretty basic for consumers to choose a wine from an accurate list, however so produced.

Edited February 3, 2023 by federalexpress
spelling

[asnaleah]

I do wonder why the list isn’t updated regularly. Do they just not want us to know?

[Laganlady02]

3 minutes ago, asnaleah said:

I do wonder why the list isn’t updated regularly. Do they just not want us to know?

They may have limited supplies so any list quickly becomes redundant.

[asnaleah]

I understand changing inventory, but I think an updated list could be posted at bars and dining rooms. 

[federalexpress]

27 minutes ago, asnaleah said:

I understand changing inventory, but I think an updated list could be posted at bars and dining rooms. 

Honestly, I think this is mandatory however much it changes, I totally agree. Just print it onboard, it can be as cheap as they want to, it's the information that matters, not the 'look' of it.

 

Right now, I find myself sending waiters off to show me bottles so I can see what's on offer and available. Not good use of their time or mine. Of course the sommelier knows what's available because he checks it all on, but there's only one of him and while he is a really nice guy, he has too much else on his plate to always come and talk to me (though he usually tries to, bless him)

[luv2travel90266]

2 hours ago, asnaleah said:

I understand changing inventory, but I think an updated list could be posted at bars and dining rooms. 

I happen to use an app for my cellar called  "cellar tracker". With a click i can create a list of the wine in my inventory and print a list. I must assume every bottle is inventoried on the ship too. 

 

I also agree with poster Federal Express. Most of the passengers  are not buying the better wines but are drinking the cocktails. 

 

 

[lisiamc]

5 minutes ago, luv2travel90266 said:

I happen to use an app for my cellar called  "cellar tracker". With a click i can create a list of the wine in my inventory and print a list. I must assume every bottle is inventoried on the ship too. 

 

I also agree with poster Federal Express. Most of the passengers  are not buying the better wines but are drinking the cocktails. 

 

 

I agree with that too, although we buy the Ultimate package mostly for the wines, but partly for the nicer booze in the Atlas Bar.  

[mchell810]

48 minutes ago, luv2travel90266 said:

I happen to use an app for my cellar called  "cellar tracker". With a click i can create a list of the wine in my inventory and print a list. I must assume every bottle is inventoried on the ship too. 

 

I also agree with poster Federal Express. Most of the passengers  are not buying the better wines but are drinking the cocktails.

 

 

I think more people would buy the upgraded package for wine if they could be sure the wines would actually be available. I know it's the reason I avoid the package.  

 

[Mackdogmolly]

1 hour ago, mchell810 said:

 

I think more people would buy the upgraded package for wine if they could be sure the wines would actually be available. I know it's the reason I avoid the package.  

 

I am planning to upgrade, but will inquire about the available wines before I do so.

[asnaleah]

For our upcoming cruise (Feb 25), we plan to bring a few bottles on board with us and try to determine what’s available on the ultimate package before upgrading. 

[Baynanno1]

6 hours ago, federalexpress said:

 

Maybe they need to forget about expensively produced lists, at least for the Ultimate selection, and find a cheap onboard printing option that is easy to update, as they take new wines onboard and change the offering. I would have thought it pretty basic for consumers to choose a wine from an accurate list, however so produced.

 

Absolutely agree with this!

So much other information is printed and distributed on a daily basis, (for example the daily information sheet "The Insider" if it still called that) your suggestion ought to at least be able to be done prior to or at the beginning of each cruise!

I'm sure it would save quite a bit of angst on a daily basis if cruisers were not requesting wines from the list only to be told it is not available.

[federalexpress]

I tried a couple of the included wines last night that were brought on board at one of the ports, a Cab Sauv and a Syrah. These are not AZ branded wines, they were Argentinian but I've forgotten the name of the winery/producer.

 

They were decent drinkable wines, maybe a bit youthful, but nothing wrong with that, at least they have some fruit. I was tasting them alongside the Ultimate's Rutini Merlot and while they were demonstrably not of that quality, I would not be unhappy getting these as my 'free' wine. Miles, miles better than the thin, weedy AZ branded Italian Merlot I mentioned previously.

 

The problem is, I very much doubt these same wines will be available on the next cruise, there were only a few dozen cases brought on and it's in the lap of the gods what arrives in future. My best advice would be to at least ask if there are S American wines on board if you are cruising soon on Pursuit while it sails in this continent and don't want to get the Ultimate package. I suspect the probability is, they will be better than the AZ branded options.

[travelberlin]

At this cruise on Pursuit I have been enjoying good wines in the included wines. The reds I like are Argentinian wines from Mendoza. San Felipe (Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz). There is also a good Pinotage from South Africa. The whites I have liked are a German Riesling, a Sauvignon blanc from Uruguay and a Chilean Chardonnay.

Ivi

[federalexpress]

8 hours ago, travelberlin said:

At this cruise on Pursuit I have been enjoying good wines in the included wines. The reds I like are Argentinian wines from Mendoza. San Felipe (Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz). There is also a good Pinotage from South Africa. The whites I have liked are a German Riesling, a Sauvignon blanc from Uruguay and a Chilean Chardonnay.

Ivi

 

Yep, those were the two wines I mentioned above, San Felipe, I went back later to check the producer. As you say, very drinkable. I also heard they had a Uruguayan Sauvignon Blanc, not tried it yet myself, but my impression of that country's wines is very positive.

 

Your feedback adds substance to my suggestion above- ask to try S American wines in the included package. I think they will, for the most part, be better than what was previously offered.

[Palms2Pines2Sea]

Does anyone have a copy of the current wine list (bottles and prices) that they could add here?

Many thanks for your help.

[WoolworthAdventures]

On 2/13/2023 at 8:18 AM, Palms2Pines2Sea said:

Does anyone have a copy of the current wine list (bottles and prices) that they could add here?

Many thanks for your help.

They change all the time bow it seems 

[calmcam]

Loving this thread. Thanks to all contributors.

Can the corkage charge for wines brought on board and consumed in restaurants/public areas be paid out of our OBC?

 

 

[luv2travel90266]

Unless specifically designated for excursions yes. 

[calmcam]

14 hours ago, luv2travel90266 said:

Unless specifically designated for excursions yes. 

Thanks, luv2travel

[DenGNNJ]

Was on the Quest, January of this year, Melbourne to Auckland.  There were lots of substitutions being made for wines on the Ultimate package.  We found that we got the BEST wine by telling the Discoveries Sommelier (David) that we had the Ultimate Package, and asking for their recommendations as to what would be good with our meal.  We definitely were served wines off the regular substitution list and all of them we enjoyed a lot.  They may not have been the most expensive wines, but they were all good.  
 

We’re on the Quest again in April 2024 for Intensive Spain.  We hope to see David again for sure, and we most certainly let Azamara know how much we thought of him.

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, DenGNNJ said:

We found that we got the BEST wine by telling the Discoveries Sommelier (David) that we had the Ultimate Package, and asking for their recommendations as to what would be good with our meal.  We definitely were served wines off the regular substitution list and all of them we enjoyed a lot.  They may not have been the most expensive wines, but they were all good.

This is IMHO the right approach.  The sommelier knows what's actually in stock, and also what is in the end-bin category – which he may be willing to give you either as an Ultimate selection or in a wine package even if the price is slightly higher than the cap.  This is a win-win because you get a good wine and the ship clears out a bin for restocking.

[luv2travel90266]

Just off a back to back from Lisbon to Venice on the Journey. Chose not to buy the Ultimate Wine package and instead in the big ports bought a few bottles and put in my backpack on the way back to the ship. Easy to search for wine stores on google maps most of which I did before the cruise. Was drinking fabulous local wines between 25-40 Euros that I might never of found in the United States and paying the $10 corkage and was much happier than a prior experience with the Ultimate Package Sept 2022 on the Pursuit. Hope they keep the corkage at $10 which is a bargain.

[beatnix]

@luv2travel90266

We are planning to do this on our next cruise in Spain and Portugal. So I have some questions.

Did you finish your bottles at the restaurant? Is it possible to leave it, if not finished, like the bottles bought on board?

Do you think it is possible to cool the wine in the fridge in the room, or are they too small?

Thanks in advance, 

Beate