Once again, Celebrity Cruises’ one-of-a-kind wine program has been recognised in the Wine Spectator 2015 Restaurant Wine List Awards. Celebrity’s unique wine lists, featured in each ship’s main restaurant, were honoured with a prestigious “Award of Excellence.”
This is the third year that cruise lines have been included in the awards, which have honoured the world’s best wine lists since 1981. In total, Celebrity has received 30 of the 34 Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence ever awarded within the cruise industry.
The renowned publication recognizes wine lists “that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.”
On average, Celebrity’s main restaurants have over 400 wines available, and they are presented as an extensive global collection of fine wines carefully selected to match the brand’s modern luxury ethos and the diverse destinations that the cruise line visits.
Each of Celebrity’s onboard specialty restaurants also have their own unique wine lists, created with the style of the dining menu in mind. Designed to please the wide range of Celebrity’s guests, from the novice wine drinker to the most ardent enthusiast, the brand’s unique main restaurant wine lists are presented in a progressive format, where the wines are grouped by unique flavour profiles.
In building the list, each wine was carefully reviewed by Celebrity’s team of wine professionals and rated based on its unique characteristics. Categories contain wines with similar flavour profiles to help better define a wine in terms of what matters most, its taste. Wines are listed in sequence, starting with wines that are mild to wines that are more powerful, ending with wines on the sweeter side. Wine-savvy guests enjoy more technical language and descriptors included in the list, and guests who are still learning about wine have an opportunity to become more educated and comfortable with the topic.
Celebrity’s team of expertly trained sommeliers prides itself on enhancing guests’ wine experience. Each sommelier goes through extensive trainings on wine fundamentals, including viticulture, wine making and food and wine pairing; regional knowledge, wine laws and regional terroir; tasting skills; storytelling, which helps sommeliers bring wines to life by painting a picture of its producer, grape varietal, region or even the origin of its label; and future trends.
Celebrity also offers a variety of onboard activities and experiences that immerse guests in wine education and enjoyment. These include Riedel comparative wine glass workshops, wine and food pairing events, wine tastings and more.
