You sit at the table, several glasses of wine arrayed before you. As you lift the first to your lips, you pause, deeply inhaling the perfume that emanates from deep inside. A sip yields more than wine…it communicated a complex story of grapes, soil, climate and passion. Fifty years ago, Claus Riedel was the first to understand that the wineglass was not just the teller of that story, but an integral part. Now, thanks to the Riedel Comparative Wineglass Workshop, a collaboration between Riedel and Celebrity Cruises, guests of Celebrity can gain insight into the role a wineglass plays in revealing all aspects of wine.
The program, the first of its kind to be offered by a cruise line, is based on the premise that each vintage is a living, breathing entity, embodying a complex set of characteristics. Riedel Crystal, long acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost producers of fine crystal, stumbled upon the degree to which the size and shape of their wine glasses emphasized the harmony among these attributes quite by accident. But once they realized how their different styles of crystal could impact different vintages and varietals, they began to do some serious research, eventually fine-tuning specific collections to enhance that magic interplay among the senses. And now, certified and specially trained by Riedel professional, Celebrity’s Cellarmasters and Sommeliers conduct a fascinating workshop that demonstrates the profound effect wineglasses have on the perception of wine.
Introduced last year, the Riedel Comparative Wineglass Workshop has proven to be one of the most popular enrichment programs onboard. Riedel Wineglass Workshop is $87 pp and includes a set of 4 Riedel Vinum Series glasses, a $116 value.
Celebrity has various other wine program during each cruise. Guests new to wine can partake in a Wine Appreciation program, Celebrity’s version of Wine 101, which introduces 5 different styles.
Celebrity also offers a Walk Around the World program, in which Sommeliers unearth the secret of 12 vintages from different regions around the world. For those who like to combine the pleasures of fine dining and fine wine, the Connoisseurs dinner, which is hosted by on of Celebrity’s Cellarmasters, features a 5-course meals, each course paired with a specially selected vintage from their extensive wine cellars.
