Looking for 2022 Viking River wine lists and bar prices

[notamermaid]

11 minutes ago, pontac said:

Re wine prices, many passengers are on the Silver Spirits package and wines on list are included, so if you want only one glass of any wine you can.

Oh, I see. Nice.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

Sorry I nearly made a not exactly correct comment then. Did you book direct or through a travel agent? I’m pretty sure you’ll be happy with the product once your on board the crew will be superb.

[The Shrike]

On 5/2/2022 at 8:04 AM, notamermaid said:

No problem. That explains it.

 

Thank you for posting the wine list. Great to finally read and see what the offers are. In the past, it has come across as though Viking may be a bit "sub-standard" when choosing regional wines but I am pleasantly surprised by the fact that Nahe and Ahr wines are on the list (both are left-bank tributaries of the Rhine). I must say, it would annoy me a bit though that few are available by the glass. And the prices for the bottles seem a little high. But then, I cannot know the quality of the wines.

 

Silvaner! Nice. But only one Moselle Riesling and one Rheingau Riesling? Could perhaps do better there.

 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed whichever one you chose to try.

 

notamermaid

 

If it's the same Silvaner we had in November it's really good.

[pontac]

19 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Did you book direct or through a travel agent? I’m pretty sure you’ll be happy with the product once your on board the crew will be superb.

 

We booked direct with Scenic for a tour in September 2020 because it was deeply discounted, it was a bargain. Of course, the Covid came so we postponed till 2021. We than had to pay the difference, as the 2021 was at full price.

 

Because we hadn't had all our jabs etc we postponed again till 2022 and again had to pay difference.

 

Covid not Scenics fault of course, and they made no quibbles about postponing but probably wouldn't have booked at full price..........

Edited May 4, 2022 by pontac

[loge23]

We always get the Silver Spirits package as well. After four river cruises with Viking, we have found that the wine selection changes a bit according to the itinerary. For example,  we had more Rhone valley wines on the Rhone cruise and more Bordeaux's on the Bordeaux cruise. Of course, lots of German and Austrian wines on the Rhine. There have been a few instances when the house wine was preferred.

We were on Grand European a few years back and they were serving Veuve Clicquot as the by-the-glass Champagne. I think those days are gone, alas!

The liquor selections are usually top shelf.

 

[pontac]

This was the first time we had  the drinks package - it was a promotion so we didn't pay for it - and I was very pleased to be able to pick something from the 4 page wine list at meal times.

 

The house wines are usually good, but this time the  white was a Chardonnay (which is not a wine we'd buy) and the red about which Heinrich doesn't disclose what's in the bottle, which is a poor sign and the web suggests its all or mostly Dornfelder, a grape with no merits IMO.

 

We took the Viking Bordeaux cruise in 2015 and then they made no bones about it being a wine cruise. They had their own sommelier on board and the house wine changed every day reflecting the Appellation we were in.

 

For the first few years, when Viking had way fewer boats, the house wines were labelled especially for Viking and came from Morwald winery in Austria and were a Gruner Veltliner and Zweigelt, both excellent wines with which we were very happy. (An exception was the sparkling wine which they illegally called Champagne and  was a semi-sweet German Sekt and which we couldn't finish the first glass and refused all further).

 

 

[notamermaid]

5 hours ago, pontac said:

(An exception was the sparkling wine which they illegally called Champagne and  was a semi-sweet German Sekt and which we couldn't finish the first glass and refused all further).

 

That is indeed "illegal", or a similar word, according to EU protected origin laws, meaning champagne is only from the champagne region. Everything else is methode champagnoise or Sekt when it is a German sparkling wine. There are very good Sekt types available in Germany and if Viking seriously thinks they can offer semi-sweet sparkling wine of the mediocre variety I would certainly put that in bold letters in the feedback at the end of the cruise as a no-no. Says this German girl...

 

notamermaid

 

 

[pontac]

17 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Everything else is methode champagnoise

 

No, that's not allowed*.

 

Traditional Method/Methode traditionelle is used to denote bottle fermented wines, unless other protected terms are used , such as Cava in Spain and Cremant** in France.

 

*except in Champagne where no one uses it because the designation Champagne defines the method of making (and lots more as well. Methode champenoise is not allowed because it uses the 'C' word. As a wine maker/grower & owner in Champagne explained to me, the methode champenoise involves a lot more than just the method of putting bubbles in the wine, from the varieties uses, to how close they are planted, that grapes must be hand picked etc etc -all are encompassed by the Champagne laws.)

 

* Cremant used to be a Champagne term for a fizz with lower pressure. They gave up the term as a quid quo pro for protection on methode champenoise. Before that happened you could by a Mumm Cramant Cremant, a less fizzy Champagne grown in the Cramant region)

[pontac]

 

 

Maybe I should get out more........

[notamermaid]

4 hours ago, pontac said:

As a wine maker/grower & owner in Champagne explained to me, the methode champenoise involves a lot more than just the method of putting bubbles in the wine

Thanks for the explanation. Complicated stuff. Here in Germany you do find the term on the bottles, i.e. where it is applied. But in general I do not drink enough of that stuff to be able to tell you about quality, what I prefer, etc.

 

It is worth exploring some "cava" (available in Germany in many good shops) and sparkling wines that come close in Germany. As I said, there are types of Sekt that are a nice alternative to champagne. Wineries along the Moselle and the Rhine do produce it in good quality. I will drink either type if it is good. Never been a fan of Veuve Cliquot. I have had some good champagne in Reims.

 

Viking seems to be quite good at picking up feedback from customers for such details. Perhaps suggestions of wineries with sparkling wine may be appreciated when they come from enough passengers. And pointing out to waiters (discreetly) what is correct to say.

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

 

5 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Never been a fan of Veuve Cliquot.

On Scenic Gem they were serving Drappier Carte d'Or champagne [https://www.champagne-drappier.com/en/carte-dor/], which is 80% Pinot Noir (my favorite).  It was very good.  I also saw Moet at breakfast [I guess Chardonnay goes better with orange juice 😉]

[oskidunker]

Cliquot the biggest rip off. They do barely enough to be called champagne. Anything else is better. 

[Canal archive]

My DHs favourite is  Dom Perignon okay very very nice but he only gets to drink it a couple of times a year, they keep putting the price up.