Cruise News

The cruise event took place at MARC’S Italian Steakhouse in Summerlin, and it was terrific. The wonderful patio, with the wines, the incredible food, and, of course, the great company of those who wanted to learn about the winery cruises (yes, that’s a plural) turned into quite the informational social hour. Naturally it was gratifying to see that many of those found out about the event via Vegas Wineaux website and blog (insert “Woo hoo!!” here).

As mentioned above, there are two winery cruises to Ensenada coming up. The first is October 31, and the second is December 8, 2008. And they look like they’re going to be an experience that travelers won’t soon forget.

The Friday, October 31, cruise is a three-day Baja Mexico cruise that departs from Los Angeles on the Carnival Paradise. A weekend escape, this is perfect for those on a budget or who are first-timers and just want to experience the excitement of a cruise.

The December 8 cruise combines pre-holiday shopping along with planned tours of Ensenada wineries. It is a five-day cruise that departs from San Diego on the Carnival Elation and goes straight through to Cabo San Lucas. The winery day will be on the more sedate return trip. There are two key words to remember here: Wine. Shopping. That’s all you need!

It certainly can’t be a complete surprise that there are world-class wineries in Mexico. Don’t forget that Mexico was settled by Spaniards, and Spain is one of the world’s premier wine regions. Centuries later, the wine making customs continue, and somehow Americans have missed this silent phenomenon. But not any more.

The climate is ideal for growing many of the same grapes that originated in the Mediterranean. Grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo, Colombard, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Semillon thrive in the region. The rest of the world has had the privilege of experiencing these wines, and finally, so are we.

The tour will take us through the Valley of Guadalupe and we will visit two different boutique wineries. Each visit will include a tour, a discussion about their winemaking practices, and (of course) wine tastings at each winery. After the tours there will be lunch before traveling back to the ship. There is an extra charge for the wine tour.

The Wineries of Mexico cruises are sponsored by Cruise Holidays of Summerlin, Carnival, and (of course) Vegas Wineaux. And, yes, there will be Combatting Swirl Envy presentations on board. Since we’re going to wineries out of the country, we might as well do it right! You may contact Cruise Holidays at (702) 982-0268 or email them at kevincruiseatlvcoxmaildotcom. Their website is www.cruiseholidays/summerlin.

You can check out the ships by going to their webpages. There’s the Carnival Elation and the Carnival Paradise. And yes, they do have their own pages!

The wines served at the event at MARC’S included Garretson’s the Craic and Aisling, Louis a Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Merlot, Red Blend, and Pinot Grigio.

The food included pita bread, olive tapanade, hummus, fresh raw vegetables, assorted cheeses, breads, crackers, and too much more to count. A shout out to Matt on his and his staff’s hard work to make sure that everything went off without a hitch. Thanks so much!

There will be follow up posts on this as time goes on. Meanwhile, keep sippin’!

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