beer vs wine

[kathyemma]

I need help. I am not a wine drinker. I am a beer drinker. I love the micro brew beers - plus some of the larger companies like Sam Adams. I would like to bring one or two bottles of wine on board with me to keep in my room for a before dinner drink. Can anyone suggest some to try? I want to try a few before I sail to see if I can find some I like. I can't even tell you if I like white, red, dry or whatever else my options are...

Is there a good selection of beer on board??

Thanks!

Kathy

[Dieter]

When you like to drink beer, why don't you drink beer. I'm always drinking a bottle of Grolsch during dinner. In the meantime the stewards know how to open the bottle with one thumb. Last September from Copenhagen to Athen there was a problem at the last day. No more Grolsch available. Shocking.
There are also 2 local American beers. Not bad, but you couldn't sell it in my German home area.
Red wine to drink in your cabin I think you can get at every harbour. This year In February at St. Thomas I even got a french wine (Beaujolais). It wasn't not so "agressive" like most of the Chardonnay wines.

[dandro]

Pinot grigio is a nice wine that seems to satisfy most wine drinkers, give it a try. Sometimes chardonnay can be too overwhelming, and reislings a bit sweet.

Do you have any places you can wine taste near where you live?

If you go on an Alaskan cruise, you must try the Alaskan Amber beer they serve on board, my husband liked it so much he bought some at our local BevMo.

[kathyemma]

If I buy a bottle of wine in the islands - can I bring it back to my room or do they keep it until the end of the trip? Might be fun to try some local wines. I always love trying local beers.

I will be drinking beer on the cruise - but since I am not allowed to bring beer onboard - but am allowed to bring to wine - thought I would find some wines I like to keep in the room for a before dinner drink.

Dandro - i will pick up some pinot to try - any name to look for - or avoid?

Dieter - years ago I was in germany (went for the 50th DDay celebration). Memorial Day weekend my friend and I found ourselves in Munich - broke. We had been robbed. Everything was gone except for our passports and my Dad's amex card - which was for emergencies only. Because of the holiday I couldn't get in touch with anyone to have our eurorail passes and tickets replaced. So we sat in a wonderful bar and drank for 3 days. I never had so much fun being robbed before.

Kathy

[seaproponent]

For someone who is just starting out with wine, I concur with the above poster that Pinot Grigio is a good choice for white wine (Pinot "Gris" is the same grape by the way). Some of the best and most highly regarded domestic brands are grown in Oregon --- many good choices here. You can find very good wines of this variety to take on board in the $10-$15 per bottle range.

For reds, Pinot Noir is the best starter wine (and by the way, still my top choice after many years as a fine wine consumer). My favorites come from California's: "Central Coast" region (including Monterey and Santa Barbara counties), & Sonoma County (including Russian River). Good examples of these wines typically can be found for $15-$25 per bottle.

And yes -- you can bring wine back to your room from ports but the above selections will likely be hard to find in those venues.