4* Wine Tasting Benefit?

[FlaMariner]

10 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

The "hint of kiwi" delivered w/a Southern twang, will be me!!

 

 

us too....and yes, with our southern twang......

 

I'm not going to reference cat urine....then folks would not take me serious.....but when I say "hint of kiwi, y'all" they will know I am a serious Sommelier package #1 connoisseur......LOL.

 

Looking forward to our first FREE 4* wine tasting.....Cheers Y'all!

[DaveOKC]

I have been to several wine tastings and for me its not a big deal (I go if I am bored and want to kill some time).  My DW is not a wine drinker, so I go by myself.  Sometimes I meet nice, interesting people there, other times just "duds".

[POA1]

I was interested in seeing if I was gong to replaced by AI before my next "Live From" later this year. I asked Bard, Google's AI to write humorously about wine snobs.  I kinda feel like I'm safe - for now.

 

Actual Bard Response:

 

Sure, here is a humorous take on wine snobs:

Wine snobs are a funny bunch. They're always so serious about their wine, and they take themselves way too seriously. They're the type of people who will spend hours talking about the nuances of a particular vintage, and they'll look down their noses at anyone who doesn't share their appreciation for the finer things in life.

 

But wine snobs can also be pretty funny. They're always coming up with these ridiculous ways to describe wine. They'll talk about the "terroir" of the vineyard, or the "mouthfeel" of the wine, or the "legs" that it leaves on the glass. And they'll use all these obscure wine terms that no one else understands.

 

One of my favorite things about wine snobs is their sense of entitlement. They always act like they're the only ones who know anything about wine, and they'll look down their noses at anyone who doesn't share their expertise. But the truth is, most wine snobs don't know as much about wine as they think they do. They just like to sound important.

 

So next time you're around a wine snob, just relax and enjoy the show. They're sure to say something ridiculous, and you'll probably get a good laugh out of it.

 

Here are some humorous examples of things that wine snobs might say:

 

•     "This wine has a complex nose with hints of cedar, tobacco, and spice."
•     "The mouthfeel is full-bodied and structured, with a long, lingering finish."
•     "The legs on this wine are simply stunning."
•     "This wine is a true expression of the terroir of the region."
•     "I only drink wines that have been aged in French oak barrels."
•     "I'm not a fan of screwcap wines. They just don't taste the same."
•     "I'm not sure what you're drinking, but it's certainly not wine."

 

As you can see, wine snobs can be pretty ridiculous. But they're also kind of funny. So next time you're around one, just relax and enjoy the show. You might just get a good laugh out of it.

[Live4cruises]

@POA1, you are definitely safe!

[VMax1700]

44 minutes ago, POA1 said:

Wine snobs are a funny bunch

I wonder if Bard actually understood how funny this one liner is?

[albingirl]

21 hours ago, FlorenceItaly said:

Me too!  I am finally four star on our next cruise.  Last cruise, we purchased the lowest priced Sommelier package too.  It was just fine for us.

Bingo.  I used to attend the wine tastings but the presenters got too talky.  TMI.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I copied and pasted the paragraphs into Word and ran spell check, which also produces a reading level score. Word says it's grade 7. I would have guessed a bit lower, given the large number of short words. 

[DTtravelers]

After discussions about the hint of kiwi have tapered off, it might be time to raise things to the next level:

 

This is when you and some previously recruited accomplices carefully swirl the next wine, then hold your glasses to your ears.  While attempting to keep a straight face, convince any curious onlookers that it is good to use all 5 senses.  🙂

 

All in good fun, of course.  But if you encounter a particularly tough crowd, you might have to make a quick exit...

[Haljo1935]

On 7/10/2023 at 1:36 PM, DTtravelers said:

...All in good fun, of course.  But if you encounter a particularly tough crowd, you might have to make a quick exit...

Knees and ankles get very stiff after much sitting - let's hope the need to exit happens early into the session while I can still move...

Edited July 13, 2023 by Haljo1935

[Dismomx5]

On 7/10/2023 at 2:36 PM, DTtravelers said:

After discussions about the hint of kiwi have tapered off, it might be time to raise things to the next level:

 

This is when you and some previously recruited accomplices carefully swirl the next wine, then hold your glasses to your ears.  While attempting to keep a straight face, convince any curious onlookers that it is good to use all 5 senses.  🙂

 

All in good fun, of course.  But if you encounter a particularly tough crowd, you might have to make a quick exit...

So, kind of like the snap, crackle, pop in Rice Krispies.

[POA1]

41 minutes ago, Dismomx5 said:

So, kind of like the snap, crackle, pop in Rice Krispies.

Nice. I'm considering making a mostly normal comment with just a little bit of randomness thrown in for entertainment value.

 

This Cab is fruit-forward, with a long, lingering finish. I detect a bit of magenta and some earthy notes from the wood aging. While this wine is fine on its own, it really calls out for beef, Popsicles, or lamb. It's ready to drink now. I wouldn't serve this as my first wine of the night, but it would be fine to serve later. Preferably when at least one person is slurring their words. 86 points on a 100 point scale, or orange on the Homeland Security Threat Assessment. I'd probably choose something lighter with pork unless there is a very rich sauce.

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by POA1

[C 2 C]

My wife and I attend every free libation invitation.

It's a great way to meet other cruisers.

The nibbles can be tasty.

I won't quibble about the quality of free wine and some tastings have been great.

A few pieces of cheese, wine and new friends.  A great way to spend an afternoon.

[WannaSea]

I'd like to attend a wine tasting with the people in this thread, we'd have such a good time!

[aa7yy]

After my last 3 wine tasting invites I have decided to skip them in the future. Rotterdam last September one of the girls pouring drank more then I. A month later she was a Sommelier.😁 Same cruise there was a Sommelier pouring that had been waiting tables 6 months earlier on the Konnsingdam. The Round the World tasting seems to be the place where non sellers go to die. I am not a wine snob but I have not been to a tasting yet that was informative or good wines.

[Haljo1935]

I can hardly wait  - come on October, I have a tasting invite in my future!!

[WriterOnDeck]

The quality of the James Suckling tasting is entirely dependent on the cellar master. I've had great and bad experiences -- with the same cellar master on B2B2B cruises.

 

The best wine tastings are on the grand cruises, when they have tables with all the wines from the half price (for 4 and 5 *) packages and you just wander around getting fresh pours for an hour. And nap the rest of the day. I don't get to the nap stage, but I do like tasting the various wines so I am better able to order at dinner.

[3rdGenCunarder]

14 minutes ago, WriterOnDeck said:

The quality of the James Suckling tasting is entirely dependent on the cellar master. I've had great and bad experiences -- with the same cellar master on B2B2B cruises.

 

The best wine tastings are on the grand cruises, when they have tables with all the wines from the half price (for 4 and 5 *) packages and you just wander around getting fresh pours for an hour. And nap the rest of the day. I don't get to the nap stage, but I do like tasting the various wines so I am better able to order at dinner.

 

That's a tasting that could result in sales if they do it early in the cruise. On my last Cunard cruise, the World Club tasting was on the last day because we didn't have many sea days. All the wines were on the wine list, but unless you could drink a whole bottle on the last night (I travel solo, so that wouldn't work for me), there wasn't much incentive to buy.

[taxmantoo]

As a certified sommelier of many years, please allow me to let you folks in on a little known secret of the wine industry.  You may call it a winery, a vineyard, an estate, a chateau or whatever any other name they often use, and you may call it a varietal, or a vintage or a sparkling, or a still wine BUT>>> what we are all talking about and drinking is in reality "grape juice" and it comes from a "grape farm". 🙂  Stop overthinking it and enjoy!

Edited July 14, 2023 by taxmantoo

[albingirl]

4 hours ago, WriterOnDeck said:

The quality of the James Suckling tasting is entirely dependent on the cellar master. I've had great and bad experiences -- with the same cellar master on B2B2B cruises.

 

The best wine tastings are on the grand cruises, when they have tables with all the wines from the half price (for 4 and 5 *) packages and you just wander around getting fresh pours for an hour. And nap the rest of the day. I don't get to the nap stage, but I do like tasting the various wines so I am better able to order at dinner.

I like the wandering around part while getting fresh pours.  Now, that's a perfect wine tasting!! We had that on our transatlantics.  And the nap time to follow lol.

[AncientWanderer]

On 7/9/2023 at 2:22 PM, Live4cruises said:

It's been a while since we've been to one of the tastings, but I'm about ready to try again. 

The last one, the Wine Snob and the Sommelier were going back and forth over whether the notes were red or black currant. My comment to DH - I smell baloney!

Happy tasting, and many laughs!!

 

Overheard in Napa about 30 years ago:  "This wine is too big for my mouth."

 

DH and I still pull that one out when we think a wine tastes good.  🤣  😂