High-seas
wine cruise
By T. Foster Jones
COSTCO TRAVEL and Celebrity Cruises
have teamed up to create a series of member-exclusive winemaker cruises sailing through
the wine regions of the Mediterranean.
From June through October, Costco
members will have the chance to sail with
winemakers and experts in wine and culinary
arts from such prestigious wineries as Wente,
Caymus, Grgich Hills Estate and Chateau Ste.
Michelle.
“We’ve taken the basics of last year’s wine
cruise and made it even better, by getting
winemakers intimately involved in all areas of
the trip,” says Lauren Anderson, cruise buyer
for Costco Travel. “It’s really exciting to have
such well-known names for our groups.”
This exclusive series of six- to 12-night
wine cruises will visit Mediterranean wine
regions such as Barcelona (home to great
Spanish wines such as Cava, Penedes and
Priorat), Provence, Tuscany, Sicily, Croatia
(origin of the first Zinfandel grape), Venice
(where Pinot Grigio, Prosecco and Recioto are
produced), and Montenegro (where the indig-
enous Vranac grape is used to make premium
wines). Selected wine cruise itineraries also
include visits to Santorini, Mykonos, Athens
and Ephesus.
Eric Wente, chairman of Wente Vineyards,
will kick off the 2011 Costco Travel Wine
Cruise Series onboard the Celebrity Solstice on
June 7, 2011. On a 12-night round-trip cruise
from Barcelona through the wine regions of
the Mediterranean, Wente will host a series of
exclusive tasting events. Costco members will
taste a wide variety of award-winning Wente
wines, explore California winemaking through
an interactive tasting seminar and enjoy a
Connecting
Costco Travel offers a full program featuring
Celebrity Cruises and many other world-class cruise lines. Visit the Travel section of
Costco.com or call toll-free 1-877-849-2730.
CELEBRI T Y CRUISES
winemaker luncheon in the Tuscan Grill,
where Celebrity’s James Beard Award–
nominated chef Jacques Van Staden and Wente join
forces to create a magnificent three-course
wine-pairing experience, featuring handcrafted, limited-production Nth Degree wines.
The ship’s Cellarmasters wine bar features
the cruise industry’s first enomatic wine tasting and preservation system, which allows
passengers to experience a variety of wines,
paired with a carefully chosen selection of
cheeses, as knowledgeable sommeliers guide
them through the expansive wine selection.
Other treats for Costco members include:
• An exclusive welcome-aboard winemaker reception where Costco members can
meet and greet their winery host, enjoy a glass
of wine from the featured winery and review
the exciting schedule of wine events that
awaits them on the cruise.
• Two private wine tasting events and
wine enrichment seminars. Customized by
each winemaker, the events may include a
winemaking and vineyard tasting seminar, a
rare vertical tasting from three different vintages or a connoisseur wine-and-cheese pairing.
• An onboard Champagne tour inside
the 1,800-bottle, two-story glass wine tower
designed by renowned architect Adam Tithany.
• A $425 onboard credit per stateroom to
apply toward spa treatments, shore excursions
or premium wine from Celebrity Cruises’
extensive 10,000-bottle wine collection.
The five Costco Travel Mediterranean
Wine Cruises are open to just 100 Costco
members per sailing and feature events exclusive to participating Costco members.
“Some very lucky members will be joining us for these magnificent cruises,” says
Lauren. C
CAYMUS VINEYARDS CRUISE HOSTED BY CHUCK WAGNER from $1,699 per person Six-day cruise in an Aqua Class Stateroom aboard Celebrity Solstice on 8/6/11 sailing.
MEDITERRANEAN WINE CRUISE SERIES
• Meet and greet winemaker reception
• Three-course wine-pairing luncheon
• Two private customized tasting events
• Two behind-the-scenes private tours
• Up to $425 shipboard credit (per stateroom)†
WENTE VINEYARDS CRUISE HOSTED BY ERIC WENTE from $2,549 per person*
12-day cruise in a Concierge Class Stateroom
aboard Celebrity Solstice on 6/7/11 sailing.
CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE CRUISE HOSTED BY JOHN SARICH from $2,669 per person*
12-day cruise in a Concierge Class Stateroom
aboard Celebrity Solstice on 9/29/11 sailing.
Additional stateroom categories, wineries, ships and sail
dates are available. For additional details and complete
inclusions, visit the Travel section of Costco.com.
*Price shown is per person based on double occupancy, is valid for select
stateroom categories only, is true and accurate at time of printing, and does
not include government taxes/fees and gratuities. Restrictions and blackout
dates might apply. All offers and inclusions are subject to availability, may
change or be terminated without notice, are valid for new bookings only
and are available to Costco members residing in the United States. Any
unused portion(s) of inclusions are nontransferable, nonrefundable and not
redeemable for cash. Unless otherwise noted, offers are not combinable
with select rate codes, coupons or other offers. Travel purchases are not
included in the Executive Membership 2% Reward program. Offer shown is
cruise-only and is valid on select dates. Cancellation and change fees may
apply. Costco Travel disclaims liability for any inaccuracies or typographical
errors. Ship’s registry: The Bahamas. †Value of shipboard credit is based on
category booked for ;rst and second passenger only. Costco Travel is
registered as a seller of travel in each of the states listed:
California registration number: CS T 2054248-50 • Florida
registration number: ST 32555 • Hawaii registration
number: TAR 5595 • Iowa registration number: TA 620 •
Nevada Seller of Travel registration number: 2007-0060
• Washington registration number: WST 602042600.
Registration as a California Seller of Travel does not
constitute approval by the state. 11TR0304 11/10
