A new Viking query

Moving on from Viking bashing, I wondered if anyone could tell me what the Viking house wine is like? I see its included for lunch and dinner and comes from "their own vinyards". I like white wine & DH likes red wine. Are they sweet/dry/oaky/long or short finish or any other descriptive terms? Just so we know whether we`ll have to order our own preference.

Thanks for any info people can offer

Moving on from Viking bashing, I wondered if anyone could tell me what the Viking house wine is like? I see its included for lunch and dinner and comes from "their own vinyards". I like white wine & DH likes red wine. Are they sweet/dry/oaky/long or short finish or any other descriptive terms? Just so we know whether we`ll have to order our own preference.

Thanks for any info people can offer

Not sure if these thumbnails will be large enough for you if you click or mouse over the picture but I have attached the 'wine list' that you can select wines to buy. Why would you buy you ask? Because the house wine 'bottled especially for Viking' proudly states the staff is AWFUL. Worse than Yellow Tail.

I like German wines but I did not like the German wines they had. From their wine list I purchased (after two nites of suffering with the 'Viking' brand..the label says Viking so I have no idea what it was) from Germany Rheinhessen Weingut Schlossmuhlenhof, Grauer Burgunder 2010 described as 'a light creamy wine with a slight spicy touch' 8E/glass or 23E/bottle. Yuk.

I am not a wine snob but I know what I like. I will tell you what wines I like here back home and if you like similar, then maybe this will be helpful.

For reds I like JLohr Cab Sav Avalon Cab Sav both from Calif, Malbecs from Argentina, Australian Shirazs or Wolf Blass cab sav blend. For whites I like New Zealand Sav Blancs like Oyster Bay, KimCrawford or Nobilo.

If you want to see the wine list better, then 'friend me' and I can send it to via private email.

If you are able, bring your own wine if you have a fav and enjoy wine because honestly, I don't think you will be happy with the free stuff on board IMHO.

I am doubtful if would be sensible to cart bottles of wine across the Atlantic to Europe. On a river cruise you are ashore every day and will have the chance to buy just about any wine that takes your fancy.

I am doubtful if would be sensible to cart bottles of wine across the Atlantic to Europe. On a river cruise you are ashore every day and will have the chance to buy just about any wine that takes your fancy.

I agree but the OP was from Scotland. I was meaning as you said,to buy some at the ports...just pack a corkscrew. Altho I do bring 2 bottles to get me started in my checked bag or duty free bag if travelling with just carryon.

I usually drink Kim Crawford for white and a Malbec for red and found the Viking selection of wine to be quite good...though I did opt for beer on a few very warm days..also good. All depends on ones mood at the time.

I usually drink Kim Crawford for white and a Malbec for red and found the Viking selection of wine to be quite good...though I did opt for beer on a few very warm days..also good. All depends on ones mood at the time.

Interesting ...so now we Canadians have really confused the OP! If they want the full wine list I have it as a pic and then they can decide for themselves if it is important.

Now beer i would have drank if it was hot...but we went Dec- Jan where it was freezing!

Sorry I was referring to the Viking wine provided for free...which on our trip was quite acceptable to us. We did indulge with a purchased bottle from the wine list two nights and also bought some ashore that we enjoyed. We are on vacation ..so the wine is just part of the adventure to us.:D

I was recently on a Viking cruise and I liked the white wine that is included at lunch and dinner. I never tried the red as I don't drink red wine.

Thanks all - should be interesting. I`m a fan of Cloudy Bay & Kim Crawford myself. DH is currently into South African reds. Sounds, from your comments, as though we should just wait and see- just like the rest of the trip!

Not sure if these thumbnails will be large enough for you if you click or mouse over the picture but I have attached the 'wine list' that you can select wines to buy. Why would you buy you ask? Because the house wine 'bottled especially for Viking' proudly states the staff is AWFUL. Worse than Yellow Tail.

 

I like German wines but I did not like the German wines they had. From their wine list I purchased (after two nites of suffering with the 'Viking' brand..the label says Viking so I have no idea what it was) from Germany Rheinhessen Weingut Schlossmuhlenhof, Grauer Burgunder 2010 described as 'a light creamy wine with a slight spicy touch' 8E/glass or 23E/bottle. Yuk.

 

I am not a wine snob but I know what I like. I will tell you what wines I like here back home and if you like similar, then maybe this will be helpful.

For reds I like JLohr Cab Sav Avalon Cab Sav both from Calif, Malbecs from Argentina, Australian Shirazs or Wolf Blass cab sav blend. For whites I like New Zealand Sav Blancs like Oyster Bay, KimCrawford or Nobilo.

 

If you want to see the wine list better, then 'friend me' and I can send it to via private email.

 

If you are able, bring your own wine if you have a fav and enjoy wine because honestly, I don't think you will be happy with the free stuff on board IMHO.

This is exactly one of the reasons I am considering the drinks package. I am not a wine snob but I do like my wine. So looking at this, the package will be a pretty good deal!!!!

You have to drink quite a lot more than we are planning to to get the benefit of the drinks package!! Just a glass of wine at lunch and dinner with a G&T before dinner suits us so the actual wine is important. If its too sweet/fragrant/dry/ rough etc we`ll just buy bottles as required of stuff we like.

You have to drink quite a lot more than we are planning to to get the benefit of the drinks package!! Just a glass of wine at lunch and dinner with a G&T before dinner suits us so the actual wine is important. If its too sweet/fragrant/dry/ rough etc we`ll just buy bottles as required of stuff we like.

Sounds like the right idea. just a suggestion for next time...if you make the title of your thread more specific you might have gotten better info. With all the Viking bashing going on, a title of 'another Viking inquiry' is too vague.

A better choice, IMHO would have been 'How is the wine on Viking?'.

enjoy your cruise ...and the wine!

You have to drink quite a lot more than we are planning to to get the benefit of the drinks package!! Just a glass of wine at lunch and dinner with a G&T before dinner suits us so the actual wine is important. If its too sweet/fragrant/dry/ rough etc we`ll just buy bottles as required of stuff we like.

We thought the wine served at lunch and dinner was good and enjoyed it. Both the red and white were dry which was nice for us as we are not fans of anything even remotely sweet. We liked the red a bit better, but we prefer red over white in general anyway.

We brought a folding multi bottle wine carrier in anticipation of buying some bottles while in port and ended up never feeling the need to do so. Although we did enjoy glasses of wine in the restaurants we went to while on shore.

Several times during our cruise the waiters walked around with glaasses of free drinks to try. Once it was brandy. Never knew I liked brandy till then. Ended up purchasing one a day after that.

Like you say you will just have to try the house wine yourself and see what you think. Everyone's tastes are different. Enjoy!

Obviously, the drinking of wine is very subjective. On our Viking Rhine cruise in April, I thought the wines were adequate and I consider myself a semi-wine snob. No choice (only one red and one white) but the wines were changed every few days. One we arrived in Germany, the Rieslings were poured. As others have said on this board, don't waste your money buying the drink package. You can pick up several great wines in port and they will uncork them on board - no charge. In Rudesheim, we bought a couple of local Riesling -- excellant. In Strasbourg, we did the excursion to a local winery and bought 6 bottles of fantastic whites. I would think that Strasbourg especially would have some great Bordeaux and Burgundy reds available. We look forward to booking the Viking Bordeaux cruise in the future. I am sure they won't pour the best wines from that region for dinner but I plan on partaking of the local wines quite often on that cruise.