First Growth Wine Flight

[techteach]

I am not a fan of Sauv. Blanc, but there is one from the Margaret River (?) in Australia we like. I think it is something like Lost River? I check with DH when he is done with meetings. I do not care for grapefruit or grassy wines. Although there were some Sauv. Blanc’s blended with Semillon that we went through cases of back in the late 80’s.

[NE John]

On 3/26/2023 at 9:04 AM, D&N said:

How are the Cunard Private label wine offerings?  Each by the glass offering is covered under the Drinks package, that’s nice but is it worth it?

How about the Cunard beer/ales? Do they hold up?

[techteach]

I think we had a glass or two of the wines and they were ok for watching waves. Wouldn’t order with dinner. Beer? That just makes me sleepy.

[NE John]

I’m looking to book a wine tasting on my 6/23 TA (I’m getting off the QM2 right before you are getting on in Brooklyn). 
Is a tasting/flight experience something to reserve ahead of time or book onboard?

 

As for beer etc, I’ll gladly have a nice IPA or   two during a pub lunch. Not a fan of lagers but more in the hoppy/bitters camp. 
 

I also have copied/pasted and set a reminder set on my phone to hopefully get answers to @D&N original questions. 

[techteach]

@NE John Tastings and flights are booked once you are on board. Let your sommelier know the first night that you are interested so they make a special contact with you. I hope you’ve read my comments about the CA wine tasting offered on our TA in December…you can find it by looking at my postings…it wasn’t very good. We are opposites for beer. I can drink one lager but really don’t care for “hoppy” and certainly not anything bitter. Between us we’ll figure out this first growth tasting issue. Have a great time on your TA!

[D&N]

There's nothing wrong with the Cunard label wines, they're very similar to what we pour from boxes here. We mainly had those on the drinks package as there wasn't much else available. We prefer French and at a stretch will take Italian or Spanish, which limits our choice. They were all fine with a light lunch, and the white and rosé were refreshing enough while we were dancing. But there is little structure to them. The Cabernet Sauvignon has a little bit more bite to it's flavour than the red blend.

We had them for most dinners as well, but there were some meals that would have been ruined by a mediocre wine. Next time I calculate we're still better off budgeting on the the drinks package plus 7 decent bottles over 14 dinners. Between tea, coffee and water at dancing and restaurant plus alcohol we'll easily hit the daily charge.

[NE John]

Great post and very helpful from all! 

[D&N]

Look what arrived this morning.

Need a good enough wine to justify using it now!

[techteach]

Have fun!

[Rothko1]

Time to pull out the 61 Cheval Blanc

[techteach]

Sharing information about great wine from my state. (Wow…sorry about that link)

 

https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fflemail.flipboard.com%2Fredirect%2Fws%3Flang%3Den%26uid%3D15138405%26utm_source%3Demail%26utm_medium%3Drecipes.mon.rd.20230424%26utm_campaign%3Demail-2022%26v%3D47278f2794583cd6%26web_url%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fflipboard.com%2F%40tonyandlibby%2Fchampagne-cognac-wine-e7fktj72z%3Futm_source%3Demail%26utm_medium%3Drecipes.mon.rd.20230424%26utm_campaign%3Demail-2022%26section_url%3Dflipboard%3A%2F%2FshowSection%2Fresolve%252Fflipboard%252Furl%25252Fhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fflipboard.com%25252F%252540tonyandlibby%25252Fchampagne-cognac-wine-e7fktj72z&data=05|01||23cfab60fd694a26512008db44ddb1e8|84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa|1|0|638179491200176685|Unknown|TWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D|3000|||&sdata=Ha5pUrrsOQPJVCfmF2mb9QFpQfU22iLBBHA1n9cDTSY%3D&reserved=0

 

[techteach]

Hello dear wine friends! We’re debating bringing a good vintage port onboard with us or just buying a bottle. DH says there are good vintages on the list for a reasonable cost. Can someone see if these are really available? By vintage: are there 1994, 1997, 2000, and 2003 vintages available? Please don’t take the time to list which producers. Just look at the list and see if there are any of these years listed. Many thanks. - Susan

Edited May 31, 2023 by techteach
Picture of current consumption…

[D&N]

6 hours ago, techteach said:

Hello dear wine friends! We’re debating bringing a good vintage port onboard with us or just buying a bottle. DH says there are good vintages on the list for a reasonable cost. Can someone see if these are really available? By vintage: are there 1994, 1997, 2000, and 2003 vintages available? Please don’t take the time to list which producers. Just look at the list and see if there are any of these years listed. Many thanks. - Susan

Not sure if you mean; Can someone onboard at present ask if they actually have what is listed?

 

From the list dated last August, this is a photo covering those years:

[techteach]

@D&N Just because it is on the list doesn’t mean it really exists. There are countless times we order wine only to have the sommelier return to say it is sold out. It happened in QG on December.

[Sue-B]

Sandeman ‘94 was definitely onboard last November 👍

 

if in doubt or you really want a certain one then I would take your own and pay for corkage in restaurant to have after dinner 👍😀

[D&N]

@techteach,

@Mercruiser & @majortom10 are onboard just now.

 

Perhaps they might have an opportunity to ask a sommelier if they actually have any of the bottles listed in the photo, and if they expect the stock to last until June 30th? I imagine it's a case of checking a computer screen of their stock list rather than actually going to a cellar.

 

I think there are other regular posters on board, but can't remember names.

I only name folk because they might not otherwise follow this particular thread whilst onboard. Please feel under no obligation if you don't get a chance to ask!

 

 

[techteach]

Many thanks @majortom10 and @Mercruiser if you have a chance to ask about port by the bottle.

[techteach]

@D&N I thought of you last night as we enjoyed this bottle. Perfect with roast chicken and morel mushroom risotto.

 

[usbeef69]

I am on QM2 on a TA currently and will endeavor to get you answers to the below queries. Here's what I currently know:

 

I'd be interested to know where they were served? I've asked around, as I've seen the bottles in Sir Samuels and would happily take a flight there. Unfortunately, I am told this is available only in the main dining restaurants or venues that have access to the full wine list (e.g., steakhouse).

 

 

I'll report back with answers to the rest!

[Lemorvan]

On 3/27/2023 at 6:10 PM, techteach said:

Pierre Gagnaire had a restaurant in Las Vegas called Twist. He had a 7 course tasting with 7 first growths matched to it. DH has planned for years to do this when he retires. He checked last night and Twist is now closed and we need to plan an alternative that is equally fantastic.

@techteach I’m interested to know what the extra two first growths are, since 1855 until present there’s only ever been five. 

[Lemorvan]

On 4/7/2023 at 10:51 AM, D&N said:

I've found the QE program again from January 15th 2017. It had been uploaded to a blog "beyondships2".

 

@D&N im absolutely amazed and flabbergasted that a reputable company could issue such shoddy, factually incorrect material. Surprised that you yourself haven’t noticed. According to the promotional material, you’ve posted, Cunard are stating that the wine flight consists of five first growths from the Médoc region, the reality is that there are only four first growths in Médoc, the fifth wine, Chateau Haut Brion, is from the Graves region. Very, very poor.
Mind you, this was on the wine list whilst I was on the Silversea ship, Silver Moon earlier this year.

 

[D&N]

11 hours ago, Lemorvan said:

Surprised that you yourself haven’t noticed.

You are of course right.

I don't tend to notice or get too hung up on that sort of detail. In the main wine list they do show each wine with it's correct appellation. At least they did in the most recent copy I have.

 

If @usbeef69 establishes that they can serve this to your dinner table that would be great!

 

The other thing I'm interested in is whether the 20% discount from the paid for drinks package can be applied to it? And if not whether it applies to individual 75ml glasses of the same wines?

 

If it applied to individual glasses but not the flight it might be better value to sample a 75ml glass on sequential nights. Our plan would be to share them between us as we only want a tasting.

[rmsEtruria]

20 hours ago, Lemorvan said:

@D&N im absolutely amazed and flabbergasted that a reputable company could issue such shoddy, factually incorrect material. Surprised that you yourself haven’t noticed. According to the promotional material, you’ve posted, Cunard are stating that the wine flight consists of five first growths from the Médoc region, the reality is that there are only four first growths in Médoc, the fifth wine, Chateau Haut Brion, is from the Graves region. Very, very poor.
Mind you, this was on the wine list whilst I was on the Silversea ship, Silver Moon earlier this year.

 

Bourdeaux—where’s that?!

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, rmsEtruria said:

Bourdeaux—where’s that?!

On the bourders of the Atlantic coast of France, I think.

[usbeef69]

On 5/26/2024 at 7:24 PM, usbeef69 said:

I am on QM2 on a TA currently and will endeavor to get you answers to the below queries. Here's what I currently know:

 

I'd be interested to know where they were served? I've asked around, as I've seen the bottles in Sir Samuels and would happily take a flight there. Unfortunately, I am told this is available only in the main dining restaurants or venues that have access to the full wine list (e.g., steakhouse).

 

 

I'll report back with answers to the rest!

I have more answers!

 

Do you have a choice of when? Since you can choose when to have this, I would recommend that you go thirty or so minutes early to whenever you want to eat as you are in Brittania Club. The advice I was given, as one in Brittania with open dining, was pretty much the same. Just ask to postpone your dinner order for however long you want to drink the wine.

 

Would they serve one set of 5 x 50ml glasses and allow 2 people to taste from those? They don’t mind if you share! Though I was told “it’s not a lot so make sure you’re good at sharing.” 
 

And if anyone knows; If you have drinks package, would this qualify for the 20% discount? I also looked into this for you. I’m told the cap is $150. If the price is above that you get no discount. So for your question about doing 5 glasses of wine versus the flight, it’s moot as for the discount as you won’t get one on either. Just depends if you want more milliliters or not 🙂

 

I’m attaching current pricing as well.