What exactly is Pol Acker?

[Docker123]

When I had my first trip as a gold, I found that I was given a full sized bottle of PA rather than the dainty little half.

 

I thought being gold was supposed to provide benefits.

 

[Germancruiser]

I find it a nice gesture of Cunard to provide every cabin with that little extra PA. One should not be ungrateful- some like it- some not. I am counting myself to the later. Well- one can always use it to get rid of the hard scin on ones feet.

[navybankerteacher]

On 9/6/2007 at 1:00 AM, Qm2Mojito said:

its a dry sparkling wine wich has alcohol content on it... :):)

Thank you -- a good definition.

 

Of course, a sparkling wine given away free by Cunard is simply NOT going to compete with DP -- but it does serve a purpose -- it brings all the pseudo-connoisseurs out of their pretentious little closets so they can pile on and attempt to sound sophisticated.

[Jack E Dawson]

On 9/5/2007 at 4:03 PM, Traveler Nina said:

I have seen it mentioned many times on this board as something like a sparkling grape juice mixed with mouth wash. Is it alcoholic? A champagne knock off? Thanks, just want to know what to expect!

I suppose I will have to come to the defense of my beloved Pol Acker.

It is an inexpensive sparkling French wine. A bottle, iced down, will typically be waiting for you in your state room. My wife and I love it. When drinking it, while unpacking onboard the QM2 on embarkation day of a Crossing, it is exquisite. 

Jack,

[ExArkie]

11 hours ago, Jack E Dawson said:

I suppose I will have to come to the defense of my beloved Pol Acker.

It is an inexpensive sparkling French wine. A bottle, iced down, will typically be waiting for you in your state room. My wife and I love it. When drinking it, while unpacking onboard the QM2 on embarkation day of a Crossing, it is exquisite. 

Jack,

Agreed. It is perfectly acceptable for a complimentary bottle to toast sail-away or for a glass on the balcony watching the ocean. It has no pretensions for being a Grand Cru Champagne and should not be evaluated in that company.

 

By the way, some of the wine rating/review sites give it a respectable score, although most don’t seem to include it. Vivino shows a 3.5 out of 5 score with a couple of hundred reviews. That doesn’t indicate it is a “pour down the drain” wine.

 

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

12 hours ago, Jack E Dawson said:

I suppose I will have to come to the defense of my beloved Pol Acker.

It is an inexpensive sparkling French wine. A bottle, iced down, will typically be waiting for you in your state room. My wife and I love it. When drinking it, while unpacking onboard the QM2 on embarkation day of a Crossing, it is exquisite. 

Jack,

Thank you, Jack. You are always balanced and helpful. We actually like it for mixing with room service OJ.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, 2Oldpeopleinlove said:

Thank you, Jack. You are always balanced and helpful. We actually like it for mixing with room service OJ.

Precisely - fine for a Mimosa — but the pseudo-sommeliers who post here presumably insist that Dom Perignon is the lowest grade they would add to their OJ.

[Fairgarth]

15 hours ago, Jack E Dawson said:

I suppose I will have to come to the defense of my beloved Pol Acker.

It is an inexpensive sparkling French wine. A bottle, iced down, will typically be waiting for you in your state room. My wife and I love it. When drinking it, while unpacking onboard the QM2 on embarkation day of a Crossing, it is exquisite. 

Jack,

 

Thank you, Jack, for some common sense and perspective.  When we entered our cabin on our first QM2 trip, there were a couple of glasses and Pol Acker on ice waiting for us.  We didn't expect that.  It never occurred to us to pour it away, I hate to see anything wasted!  Complimentary bubbly set the mood and we anticipated a most enjoyable crossing.  And it was.

[Tonopah]

We received Pol Acker when we embarked on the QM2. We tried it. Neither of us enjoyed it and we disposed of it. We were participating in some game or other in the ballroom one night and were very close to winning. The reward was a bottle of PA. We “accidentally” lost. No reason to keep the others from enjoying the reward.

 

On the idea of Dom Perignon (or any other champagne…) We went to the region in France where champagne is made, tasted some of the finest in the world…and still didn’t like it. Neither of us are bubbly fans, although we do enjoy wines.

 

We are booked on a voyage in November and will be very happy to see a bottle of Pol Acker in our cabin because it will mean we are on board. We won’t open the bottle and whoever wants It upon our disembarkation is welcome to it.

[exlondoner]

17 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Precisely - fine for a Mimosa — but the pseudo-sommeliers who post here presumably insist that Dom Perignon is the lowest grade they would add to their OJ.

 

Some people really don't like the stuff: that doesn't make them pseudo anything, it just means they don't like it. 

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 

Some people really don't like the stuff: that doesn't make them pseudo anything, it just means they don't like it. 

Actually, when they liken it to paint stripper, they are going a bit beyond just saying they don’t like it.

[exlondoner]

Well, I always enjoy metaphors, providing the intention isn't cruel. I assume they mean they find it acidic and rather rough. It doesn't make them imitation wine waiters. It is merely their feelings about the stuff. Many would agree, many think it's fine, some of us will drink it if necessary, but wouldn't choose it. None of this seems insincere.

[majortom10]

Not liking white wine if somebody gave me a free bottle whether it was £5 a bottle or £100 a bottle it would be like paint stripper so I dont think cost has anything to do with it.

[Cjohns16]

Pol Acker is an acceptable Cremant from the Loire region. My  comment is Cunard  allows you to take it and drink it in the restaurant which will reduce your wine bill by $50 or $25 , depending on if Cunard  gave you a half or   full bottle.😊

[WantedOnVoyage]

We are Pol Acker recyclers.... we tried it once. Never again. And always leave in its natural habitat: the fridge.  The last oh three-four trips it seems to have been denied us in PG and replaced by numerous replacements, most of which are vaguely drinkable. 

 

In 50 years, I expect a bottle will appear in the Cunard "Heritage Trail" on QM3. Maybe one of our bottles passed on to a future generation.

[Winifred 22]

I like it and find it perfectly drinkable. 

[D&N]

It's natural habitat is an ice bucket rather than a fridge. The fridge will not cool it sufficiently. It should be served in chilled glasses. It is a "Blanc de Blancs" made exclusively from white grapes usually Chardonnay. It will never have the depth of flavour in a champagne or other blended sparkling wine that will probably include red grapes with their skins removed.

Served correctly it is quite acceptable alone as an aperitif or mixed in a spritz or mimosa.

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, WantedOnVoyage said:

We are Pol Acker recyclers.... we tried it once. Never again. And always leave in its natural habitat: the fridge.  The last oh three-four trips it seems to have been denied us in PG and replaced by numerous replacements, most of which are vaguely drinkable. 

 

In 50 years, I expect a bottle will appear in the Cunard "Heritage Trail" on QM3. Maybe one of our bottles passed on to a future generation.

 

I was pleased when my first post-Covid cruise on QE did not have Pol Acker. Instead, I had one of the replacements and it was definitely better than Pol Acker. I hoped it would be a permanent change, but my next cruise after that, the dreaded Pol Acker was back. I have had some that was drinkable and some that was vile. I suspect the problem is either QC at the winery or variations in storage and handling by Cunard. 

[Essiesmom]

A walk down memory lane.  I went back to the first page of this thread to review the start, and found so many posters who were quite active when I first joined, but have disappeared.  I believe some have passed on, but I wonder what happened to the others…. EM

[Germancruiser]

I did the same Essiesmom, very interessting. I am still around- thank the good lord. Even thoug I don´t like Pol Acker- I find it still a nice gesture of Cunard- there is an old saying: " Who looks a gifthorse in the mouth"! True enough- C- Cruisers should stop complaining and just- as I do leave it in the cabin - for use for the next passenger of pass it on to friends or tablemates who like it.

Of course- I, too made fun out of the good old Pol Acker- use it to remove the rust stains on you balcony, etc, etc.

 

[Victoria2]

17 hours ago, D&N said:

It's natural habitat is an ice bucket rather than a fridge. The fridge will not cool it sufficiently. It should be served in chilled glasses. It is a "Blanc de Blancs" made exclusively from white grapes usually Chardonnay. It will never have the depth of flavour in a champagne or other blended sparkling wine that will probably include red grapes with their skins removed.

Served correctly it is quite acceptable alone as an aperitif or mixed in a spritz or mimosa.

We usually leave it as we have plenty of other stuff to drink but you're right, it's more than acceptable as a mixer and when well chilled, it's also not as bad as tradition seems to demand it is, on its own.

 

 

[rog747]

POL ACK >?

My advice, take it home and it goes rather well with a nice Chicken Casserole used as extra 'Stock' LOL

[cook68]

I am sure it is in here somewhere but this is a very very long thread. I had no idea it started in 2007. 
What are you given in the PG I understand it is a full bottle but please tell me its not Polack it can't be can it?

[Host Hattie]

I think you have to be in QG to get Champagne!

[NE John]

3 minutes ago, cook68 said:

I am sure it is in here somewhere but this is a very very long thread. I had no idea it started in 2007. 
What are you given in the PG I understand it is a full bottle but please tell me its not Polack it can't be can it?

In PG, we got some other brand of sparkling wine upon arrival and not champagne. We then got a bottle of Pol Aker mid-voyage as a WC perk.