Wine Selections

[Deckhawk]

I'm sailing SS for the first time this May and was curious if anyone can provide feedback on the included wine selections.  We live close to Napa and enjoy good wines.  I was throwing around the idea of bringing 4-5 upscale bottles, but didn't want to lug them on the plane and realize that the onboard selections were at the same level.  I know wine is very subjective, but any feedback on the included selection?  If we decide to bring bottles, I'm assuming no issues bringing it onboard and/or no corkage fee?  Anyone have wine menus they can share?

[Gourmet Gal]

Which ship?

 

I’m also from the Bay Area and am used to easily available great wines but just don’t care enough to lug wines on vacation.  Part of the fun of travel is to try new foods and wines of the region and though the included wines are pretty average if your ship has the new SALT restaurant you’ll get to try local wines.  There is also a alternate range of wines for purchase and I’m sure there are cruisers here who can provide you with the latest list on your ship.

[canderson]

24 minutes ago, Deckhawk said:

I'm sailing SS for the first time this May and was curious if anyone can provide feedback on the included wine selections.  We live close to Napa and enjoy good wines.  I was throwing around the idea of bringing 4-5 upscale bottles, but didn't want to lug them on the plane and realize that the onboard selections were at the same level.  I know wine is very subjective, but any feedback on the included selection?  If we decide to bring bottles, I'm assuming no issues bringing it onboard and/or no corkage fee?  Anyone have wine menus they can share?

Also first time SS cruisers and had same question.  Answer may surprise.  Read forward from this link:

 

 

[Deckhawk]

34 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Which ship?

 

Muse to Alaska in May of this year

[bayonejoe]

We just finished 12 days on Silver Moon. And their inclusive wine program was wonderful. A list of inclusive wines was not available. However, if you ask your som and specify wines that you like , he/she will provide some suggestions.

And I agree that if S.A.L.T is a dining choice, trying local wines can be a great experience.Especially when paired with local cuisine.

 

 

[Deckhawk]

42 minutes ago, canderson said:

Also first time SS cruisers and had same question.  Answer may surprise.  Read forward from this link:

 

Just read through it - super helpful - thank you.  We're on a 7 day cruise, so I'll likely bring 1-2 nice bottles to supplement what is provided.  The other days I'll go with the suggested pairings and see how that goes....

[erikzen]

I'm no expert on wine or Silversea, but I have a similar question and have been trying to piece together what they offer from various posts. Seems like they have a good selection of wines in the $15-$20 range retail, so I assume these would be your $40-60 dollar wines in a similar land based restaurant. This is fine for me as I'm always buying the $20 and under bottles at home, but if you prefer wines that are a bit more upscale you'll probably have to pay extra or bring your own. My understanding of the liquor policy on Silversea is that you can bring whatever you'd like onboard at any port and there are no corkage fees.

[mitz18]

I'm not from Napa but for years visited 2-3 times per year and love big bold cabs.  That being said, I'd never take my own wine on SS as it forces me to try their variety of wines.  The sommelier / wine stewards were very helpful and willing to offer several options for trying.  One night he even left the bottle on the table after seeing we enjoyed it.  You're on a new adventure, why not be willing to be open to new wines.  Some you won't like, others you will.

[broker1217]

I would suggest perusing the Connoisseur list soon after boarding. 
They have some excellent wines at very good value, I find the French wines particularly well priced (I am from US).

US wines tend to be somewhat overpriced in my experience, especially brand name wines like Caymus or Silver Oak, etc.

We looked at the Connoisseur list over lunch in Atlantide and ordered a bottle of Puligny Montrachet to enjoy at a later dinner. The process was well handled and wine was tagged with our name. When we arrived for dinner we told the sommelier we wanted our pre ordered wine and it was served promptly. 
The price for the Puligny Montrachet was well below what we would pay retail at a wine shop. 

[QueSeraSera]

7 hours ago, Deckhawk said:

I'm sailing SS for the first time this May

Wow, welcome to Silversea & we're a bit jealous as our next cruise (on Silver Moon) is several months away.  All good answers above.  We were very satisfied with the included wines (our picks: sauv blanc / red blends) and, unusual for us, enjoyed a few mixed drinks on a previous cruise on the Muse.

[Stumblefoot]

As a collector, I agree with those who say leave your bottles at home.  There are plenty of options available on any SS voyage.  And, being a cruise line whose heritage was Italian before the RCL purchase, the Italian reds always offer the best value, overall.

[alithecat]

We have a home in Napa and collect wine. The included Silversea wines are cheap, but drinkable.  They pour one complimentary white and one red each evening. The whites are usually some variant of Sauvignon Blanc, which I hate. I have better luck with the reds. If you don't like the suggested wines, you can ask for alternatives. What we do is once we have found an acceptable wine, we taste the new wines for that evening and then tell them we'd like a specific wine that we had before. They are good about getting them. The only problem is that when they do, they usually leave the rest of the full bottle on the table and we drink it all!
Also, for included sparkling wines, always ask for the Pommery. It is much better than the Monopole they always pour, and is included.
And finally, do check out the non-complimentary wines. The prices are very reasonable. Much less than standard mark-ups. Take photos of the list and google them to figure it out. We paid for one great wine for our dinner at La Dame and drank complimentary wine the rest of the time. 

[drron29]

You don't have to drink the offered wines of the night. Rojaan is often offered a Chardonnay which she really dislikes but then will ask for a Sav. Blanc which is what she prefers.

Last night we had dinner with a couple from Florida. Of the included wines they really like Alexander Valley Syrah from Sonoma. The sommelier brings a bottle and leaves it on the table.

Last cruise on the dawn we had a few meals with a retired Australian politician. On SS he had always preferred Billi Billi shiraz from Australia. Again always a bottle left at the table. However I did get him to try a Chilean carminere one night and he then stuck to that.

 

So leave your bottles in your cellar -wine often doesn't travel well. And if you have a favourite wine type just ask for it and they will recommend a wine from their list.

Plus if you want a special wine check out the Connoisseurs list with prices closer to wine shop prices than restaurant prices. Can be great value.

[Rothko1]

I agree that the Connoisseur Wine List offers some really great values.  My dilemma in the past has been whether to bother springing for a CWL bottle, or just drinking the included wines, which are often decent, if not great.  

[A Tucson Guy]

We always get at least one bottle from the Connoisseur's list and drink it with our main course. We will drink the complimentary wines before the main course. For us, the Connoisseur's list wine will easily last us for two meals. SS will store it eat and it will appear at your request.

[Sadie Lady]

Connoisseur's List is good and mostly fairly priced. Great use of shipboard credits! We were on SilverCloud last year for a 12 day expedition Iceland to Dublin and the sommelier held a wine auction early in the trip with some very nice bottles that they were trying to "clear out of the wine cellar" Only a handful of people bid on them (there were about 15 bottles or so), and we "won" 3 of them. There is a minimum price, but it was at or slightly below retail. We bought Ornellaia and Sassaica which were perfect for La Terrazzo and my husband had to buy the Phelps Insignia since its one of his faves. Vintages were a bit older than the current offerings on the connoisseurs list.  Also depending on where you're traveling, you can pick up bottles on shore. Before our Alaska cruise, we were in Oregon and brought on board some nice Willamette Valley wine, some for our suite and some for sharing. 

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, Sadie Lady said:

…the sommelier held a wine auction early in the trip with some very nice bottles that they were trying to "clear out of the wine cellar".

That sounds like fun! I would have enjoyed such an event.

 

I also liked when SS had a standing policy of 20% off all Connoisseur wine list bottles if you purchased a minimum of three bottles on any given voyage.  THAT deal was a no brainer to this wine nut.

[Strumdatjag]

Isn’t Champagne always available?  And I believe it’s a pretty good one. 

Edited April 13, 2023 by Strumdatjag

[Rothko1]

20 hours ago, Sadie Lady said:

Connoisseur's List is good and mostly fairly priced. Great use of shipboard credits! We were on SilverCloud last year for a 12 day expedition Iceland to Dublin and the sommelier held a wine auction early in the trip with some very nice bottles that they were trying to "clear out of the wine cellar" Only a handful of people bid on them (there were about 15 bottles or so), and we "won" 3 of them. There is a minimum price, but it was at or slightly below retail. We bought Ornellaia and Sassaica which were perfect for La Terrazzo and my husband had to buy the Phelps Insignia since its one of his faves. Vintages were a bit older than the current offerings on the connoisseurs list.  Also depending on where you're traveling, you can pick up bottles on shore. Before our Alaska cruise, we were in Oregon and brought on board some nice Willamette Valley wine, some for our suite and some for sharing. 

 

I'm a huge fan of Insignia as well.  Great wine.

[mitz18]

On 4/13/2023 at 2:48 PM, Strumdatjag said:

Isn’t Champagne always available?  And I believe it’s a pretty good one. 

we usually had Pommery, but did buy a higher end bottle or two. 

[brooklynboy1956]

New to Silversea here.  At what point does one provide one's preferences for the in-suite refrigerator? We would like to have ours stocked by the time we board.  Or does one let the butler know once we are in the cabin?  Might we request the Pommery?  

[Strumdatjag]

How much of this is peer pressure?   Some one or a couple meets others on board. One of the others buys a wine from the Con List.  And then everyone else thinks they have to reciprocate.  The chain reaction continues. Everyone gets Conned. 
I’m new to SS, but not new to observing human nature.   Does that happen?   Because I’d hate to get goaded into  buying “great” wine when I can get “good” wine for free!!! 

[Rothko1]

41 minutes ago, Strumdatjag said:

How much of this is peer pressure?   Some one or a couple meets others on board. One of the others buys a wine from the Con List.  And then everyone else thinks they have to reciprocate.  The chain reaction continues. Everyone gets Conned. 
I’m new to SS, but not new to observing human nature.   Does that happen?   Because I’d hate to get goaded into  buying “great” wine when I can get “good” wine for free!!! 

 

I wouldn't call it getting "conned".  The Wine List is too reasonable to be considered a con.  If someone buys a nice wine to share and everyone wants to reciprocate, what is wrong with that?  You're probably getting to try 3 or 4 great bottles of wine and only need to buy one.

 

Am I missing something?

Edited April 16, 2023 by Rothko1

[canderson]

Just now, Rothko1 said:

Am I missing something?

Not that I can see.  I'm pleasantly surprised by the prices.  Agree that sharing a few nice bottles is a win for everybody at the table if it's done equitably, which it often is.

[Strumdatjag]

You don’t understand my question.   Yes, it’s great if everyone WANTS to reciprocate.   But if I drink a glass of somebody else’s “great” wine, I’m going to feel obligated to buy one myself to reciprocate.   I don’t WANT to but I’ll end up doing it.  I’d rather just drink the rot-gut that’s included (and drink “great” wines I found on sale when I’m back home).  I suspect we will get into a cocktail, wine with dinner and after dinner drink routine (with maybe even a beer on shore).  I find I have less appreciation for “great” wines in that type of routine compared to just drinking a “great” wine with dinner at home. 

Edited April 16, 2023 by Strumdatjag