Viking Star Wines

[turbobob]

While I have no formal training I have lots of experience drinking wine, have visited wineries in a number of countries and have a cellar that suits my taste. My taste usually runs toward full bodied wines with some character and I dislike insipid wines whether they lack character because they a light and trivial (cheap European wines) or overblown and flaccid (cheap California and Australian wines). With that preamble here is my assessment of Viking Star wine offerings.

 

The house wines that are poured with meal are cheap European and South African wines, they are light and trivial. They are sometimes blends - not a bad thing in itself - of more and less "common" grapes. They worked well with the meals but they did not add to the food. They were often "strange" combinations of varietal and location, e.g. pinot noir and Alsace.

 

The "premium" wines by the glass were limited in their number (I think 8 total red and white) and a small step up in quality. The valpolicello ripasso was better than most I can get in the US and $6.50 per glass was a good deal. Since there was not a chardonnay from a prime chardonnay location we only took this option one evening.

 

The real wine list was interesting with some very definite strengths but gaps the size of....... well the size of California or Australia. The positive aspect is the wines list offers some excellent choices at "reasonable" prices; we got to try a bottle of the Chateau Kirwan 2010 that we have in our cellar bought on an earlier cruise on a different line. The bad news is the dearth of wines from the US; there were two whites, but no chardonnay, and two reds, one a California appellation zinfandel. Australia did not fare much better. We had to go to South Africa and Australia for a bottle of chardonnay. It's hard for me to understand how a wine list that is so good for France, Spain and Italy can be so weak for the rest of the world.

 

One more thing, it would have been nice to have access to the wine list in the cabin. We enjoy returning from a tour and sitting on the balcony with a nice bottle of wine, some, fruit, cheese and meat. The fruit, cheese and meat were readily and easily available from room service, with no wine list getting a bottle was more of a challenge than it was worth. Now we know, next time we will either bring wine with us or buy it in port.

[robinlynn]

Does the Silver Spirits package entitle you to the better wines, even if just by the glass?

Thanks

Robin

[garycarla]

From the Viking Website:

$129 for our 7 night/8 day cruise includes 15% gratuity

 

Silver Spirits Beverage Package

 

Upgrade to the very best spirits available during the duration of your cruise, and enjoy unlimited:

 

Any drinks up to $15.00 including premium

The Chef’s Table premium wine pairing

Selection of applicable wines change twice per cruise

Wines by the glass, cocktails & aperitifs

Mini-bar replenishments

15% discount on Premium Beverages above $50.00

 

 

I really do not know what step up in wine is available or would cost. We are simple Chardonnay drinkers and had no problem with what they were serving as house wine. Guessing they have a handful of wines that change?

[turbobob]

The Silver Spirit package would be worth the "investment" if you drink more than I do and if you like some of the limited number of wines they offer by the glass, plan on eating frequently at the Chef's Table, or enjoy truely premium wines by the bottle.

[ebtrip]

I am on the Star in March 2018 and purchased Silver Spirit Package. I'm in a DV4 cabin. Am I entitled to wine in the mini bar?

[garycarla]

I am on the Star in March 2018 and purchased Silver Spirit Package. I'm in a DV4 cabin. Am I entitled to wine in the mini bar?

 

No matter what answer you get today, something this is over a year away could, and most probably will - change.

[Vineyard View]

Does anyone know what the specific wines are on the silver spirits package? While I am not fond of their house wines, I would like to actually purchase these upgrade options to taste ahead of time.

 

Turbobob, you mention that the package is worth it if your like premium bottles of wine.....how does that work? Is it a percentage discount?

 

Thanks much!

[turbobob]

If I remember correctly the package includes a 15% discount on bottles.