Wine Quality

[purpleally]

[quote name='gillianrose']I have never had good wine at Chili's.
I have enjoyed some good wine from Chile. :)[/quote]
i do like the margaritas at chilis tho!:o

[Travelcat2]

[quote name='purpleally']Elvis made the BEST chocolate martini for me on navigator.
We were talking to him in the dining room and he told us he was the bartender for the casino. Awesome! I had to have two more just to make sure![/quote]

I agree that his chocolate martini's are the "BEST"! Although I have not researched this, I believe that chocolate martini's are the lowest calorie chocolate dessert a person can have:D

[brucecar]

Tyler919 thanks for the great story ... I dont esp like Pinotage but I agree that must be 1 of the best SA-local wines, and its gratifying they made a quick adjustment like that.

Any estimates how many pinot noirs or say Rhone style blends? Just trying to get a feel for the range of selection

[alwayscoldmom]

[quote name='brucecar']Ive read many interesting comments about the included wine choices, and various opinions (mostly favorable), but since wine happiness (made that up) is quite subjective, I was really hoping to find some mention of specific wines ... then I can match that with what I like / dont like.

1 poster talked about Santa Marg Pinot Grigio, which is a great benchmark for me .. and someone else mentioned Aussie Shiraz (huge range but still that's helpful). Any "name" brands like Calif Cabs ? Can you expect to find decent Burgundies or Cote du Rhone ? Just trying to get a general sense of the selection.

The all-inclusive pricing is really a great deal, if you actually enjoy what's provided. Thanks !![/QUOTE]

Just off the Mariner. They had Santa Marg, the Aussie Shiraz was Penfolds. I didn't see a Cote du Rhone but they were pouring a very nice Chateauneuf-du-Pape in signatures one night. The featured wines were different every night some really good (had an EXCELLENT white burgundy one night) some just so so. One of the ladies I was with loves a NZ sauvignon blanc but she had to make due with sauvignon blanc from Chile beacause they didn't have any from NZ onboard. I hope this helps. I agree wine happiness is a personal choice.

[NCCruzQueen]

I found the Oyster Bay NZ Sauvignon Blanc on the Navigator last November to be good. Luckily I have found it at my local grocery. Makes me :D.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

[quote name='NCCruzQueen']I found the Oyster Bay NZ Sauvignon Blanc on the Navigator last November to be good. Luckily I have found it at my local grocery. Makes me :D.[/QUOTE]

Yum! I will look for that one when I'm down in Florida next week!

[MooseRCute]

Oyster Bay is one of my favorites from the Marlborough region, right next to Kim Crawford. They DID have that on our recent Mariner cruise but it was for additional cost and not available as an alternate. I can tell you the Chilean sauvignon blanc was quite good (yes, I'm the NZ sauvignon blanc-loving gal alwayscoldmom referred to, lol). :)

[NCCruzQueen]

MRC, Interesting that the Oyster Bay SB was at extra cost on the Mariner. It "flowed freely" on the Navigator.

Wendy, I can get it for around $11. Hope you can find it.

[MooseRCute]

NZCruzQueen: sorry, I seem to have led you to a misunderstanding with my wording - it was the Kim Crawford that was at extra cost, not the Oyster Bay. :)

[wbarrister]

We have not traveled on Regent since the "free wine" era began. We are booked to Southeast Asia on the Voyager in Feb. 2013.

Comments (ending about 18 months ago) were pretty favorable on the quality of the "included" wines. Is that still the case? Are we going to be approached with expensive "upgrades" to get good wine? Are upgrades reasonable?

I ask because we have had experiences where the included wine was basically undrinkable and there was little choice but to pay full prices to get anything decent. I don't expect that from Regent but you never know unless you ask!

[OrpingtonT]

[quote name='wbarrister']We have not traveled on Regent since the "free wine" era began. We are booked to Southeast Asia on the Voyager in Feb. 2013.

Comments (ending about 18 months ago) were pretty favorable on the quality of the "included" wines. Is that still the case? Are we going to be approached with expensive "upgrades" to get good wine? Are upgrades reasonable?

I ask because we have had experiences where the included wine was basically undrinkable and there was little choice but to pay full prices to get anything decent. I don't expect that from Regent but you never know unless you ask![/quote]

I have never been pressed to buy "upgraded" wines. The usual daily pour is reasonable, drinkable stuff in my view and if you don't care for it the sommelier will find you a complementary alternative more to your taste.

But of course you can splash out your OBC on better quality wine if you wish.

[HonTri]

[quote name='wbarrister']We have not traveled on Regent since the "free wine" era began. We are booked to Southeast Asia on the Voyager in Feb. 2013.

Comments (ending about 18 months ago) were pretty favorable on the quality of the "included" wines. Is that still the case? Are we going to be approached with expensive "upgrades" to get good wine? Are upgrades reasonable?

I ask because we have had experiences where the included wine was basically undrinkable and there was little choice but to pay full prices to get anything decent. I don't expect that from Regent but you never know unless you ask![/quote]
Being from one of the wine counties of CA. we like the wine choices on Regent ships. Have your TA get you a copy of the wine lists comp. & $. We have both and there are some good prices for the upgrade wines.:)

[kvisf]

Opinions about wine are very subjective, and our experience may not be the most up-to-date (July 2011, and April 2010 before that), but we thought the included wines were of very acceptable quality. Regent tends to feature an included red and white at each meal in each dining venue, but you're not limited to those if there is some other included wine that you have tried and liked; you can just request that regularly, and most likely if you stay with the same servers in Compass Rose they'll get to know your preferences.

[Viennagirl]

Fred and I just spent 3 months on the Voyager. I was blown away by the included wines. Our sommelier was fabulous. From time to time I did order special wines and champagnes, but for our normal shipboard life, we were delighted. Footnote: I lived in Paris for 12 years and worked in the wine business in the U.S.A. before that. The wines on Regent are a delight.

[commodore2010]

I have always enjoyed the included wines on Regent. Yes, some are better than others. The sommelier has always given an alternate if the daily pour is just not to your liking, which has only happened a few times.

IMO, the upgraded wines are good value, but remember that wines do not store well on a ship. The constant movement is not good for them and they may not taste as they should. Thus the good pricing.

[Emperor Norton]

Even for "free" the wine has issues.

[Aloha 1]

[quote name='Viennagirl']Fred and I just spent 3 months on the Voyager. I was blown away by the included wines. Our sommelier was fabulous. From time to time I did order special wines and champagnes, but for our normal shipboard life, we were delighted. Footnote: I lived in Paris for 12 years and worked in the wine business in the U.S.A. before that. The wines on Regent are a delight.[/QUOTE]

I want to know the name of your sommelier! :D

[nana541]

Wine on Mariner on the 4/2 cruise was very good. Never felt the need to purchase any upgraded wine (or liquor). If we did not care for what was being poured, something else was always available. Never any suggestion that we pay for an upgraded choice.

[Viennagirl]

It's late. Fred and I were on the Mariner for 3 months, circumnavigating South America, not the Voyager. Our Voyager adventure was last spring. The delightful sommelier who was terribly serious about investigating the wines of Chile and Argentina was Daniella Ovesea. I am often skeptical of sommeliers but she is the real deal. The depth of her knowledge was quite impressive. That, and she is lovely, charming and smart. Other posts lead me to believe that my fellow passengers think there are only 3 wines offered in each dining venue, which is far from the truth. One is welcome to request any wine in the cellar, no matter where your are, even in your suite! We have friends for whom Regent stocked a particular California Chardonnay on board that they requested! Now that's something!

[freddie]

Viennagirl - You are certainly spot on in your comments about Daniela, "la sommeliere superbe"!! We have been on three cruises with her and find her to be one of the great assets of Regent. Not only does she look like an "Alfred Hitchcock blonde" (in the mode of Kim Novack, Tippi Hedren, and Grace Kelley), she is warm, bright, and very knowledgeable about wine. Regent has a star in that lovely lady, which I firmly hope Regent recognizes. Cheers, Fred

[Travel2Learn]

The wines change. My favorite last spring was not available in the fall. :(

[OrpingtonT]

[quote name='freddie']Viennagirl - You are certainly spot on in your comments about Daniela, "la sommeliere superbe"!! Fred[/quote]

I also agree about Daniella and have mrentioned her more than once on these boards and, of course, on the comment cards.

[pierrem]

I agree that the included wines are of a good quality.

The only premium that I've had on board Regent was a $160 Californian red bought by our table companion in Prime 7. We didn't even finish the bottle since we switched to one of the included reds which tasted much better.

[Threechicks]

Viennagirl. This is a little off topic but I was wondering if you had left Regent. Glad you are back. Haven't seen a post for awhile. I hope you remember me from the Voyager last May and our discussion about the geneology of "the Bondis". Elsie

[Balloon Man]

Just off Voyager in Athens on Monday. We enjoyed a selection of included wines - Pinot Grigio, Sancerre, Sauvignon blanc (three types), Chardonnay and in the reds Chateauneuf du Pape, Crozes Hermitage and the usual offerings from North and South America. All good. Some very good. However we purchased three premium offerings that were a waste of money and very disappointing. One was a Chablis, another Chateauneuf and finally a Gevrey Chambertin. All poor. Not actually off, but dead and uninteresting. Some of the wine assistants couldn't tell Cote de Rhone from Cote de Beaune. But these are minor gripes (or should that be grapes?) about what was a generally fine cruise from Dubai.