– Returning for its Seventh Year, the Lineup Includes New Experiences from Master Johnnie Walker Blender Emma Walker –
– Company’s Newest Ship, Norwegian Prima, to Host its First Meet the Winemaker Cruise –
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, has revealed the exciting lineup of its popular Meet the Winemaker series, the one-of-a-kind programme featuring renowned winemakers and culinary experts bringing their knowledge and expertise to an intimate group of guests on board the Company’s newest ships.
The Meet the Winemaker series provides wine enthusiasts and foodies of all skill levels with an exclusive opportunity to engage with winemakers and other connoisseurs through various enriching seminars and activities. The immersive programming offers guests intimate wine tastings, wine-paired dinners, interactive culinary demonstrations and meet-and-greets on board. Guests can also purchase wines on board that are otherwise only available by visiting the wineries directly.
“Our Meet the Winemaker series is back and better than ever,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Every year we aim to elevate this exclusive experience and I believe we’ve done just that as we enter the programme’s seventh year with an impressive guest lineup. These unique sailings offer a rare opportunity to get one-on-one exposure to esteemed winemakers and their collection of wines, all while visiting multiple destinations and enjoying an unforgettable vacation aboard our innovative fleet.”
A new and noteworthy addition to this year’s series includes special guest Emma Walker. Walker, a Master Blender at Johnnie Walker, the highest rank in whisky craftsmanship, has spent over a decade perfecting whisky production, maturation, and blending processes. She leads the Johnnie Walker Whisky Specialist team based in Menstrie, Scotland, where she has access to more than ten million casks of maturing Scotch whisky. She will join the 17 September 2023 sailing on NCL’s award-winning new ship, Norwegian Prima, in Northern Europe for NCL’s first-ever Johnnie Walker cruise where guests can learn the history of the brand and savour the wide range of aged whiskeys.
Also notable to the programme is Chef Ashley Breneman, Executive Chef at Certified Angus Beef®, one of the best beef brands in the country and is featured across the NCL fleet in its specialty restaurant, Cagney’s. Breneman, who began her career studying at Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute and has worked for numerous celebrity chefs, including Gordon Ramsay on the hit show “Master Chef,” will join returning winemaker Antonio Hidalgo for the 9 July 2023 sailing aboard Norwegian Encore to Alaska to add a culinary component to the Meet the Winemaker experience.
Fourth-generation winemaker Miguel Torres, who pioneered planting Cabernet Sauvignon in Spain, creating ‘Mas la Plana’ in 1970, will also make his debut to the culinary program aboard Norwegian Encore’s 9 April 2023 Eastern Caribbean voyage. The Miguel Torres Chile family winery has a presence in over 100 countries and has established itself over the past 30 years as one of the main producers of high-quality wines and is committed to environmental and social responsibility.
Returning fan-favourite hosts include celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez; world-class winemaker and member of the historic fashion house, Salvatore Ferragamo; Napa Valley icon Michael Mondavi of the Michael Mondavi Family Estate; and “The Drinks Business” Master Winemaker of the Year 2023 recipient Gérard Bertrand, among others.
The complete 2023 Meet the Winemaker series lineup includes:
- April 2, 2023 – Norwegian Bliss, Mexican Riviera: Featuring award-winning celebrity chef and TV personality Aaron Sanchez
- April 9, 2023 – Norwegian Encore, Eastern Caribbean: Featuring fourth-generation winemaker Miguel Torres
- April 22, 2023* – Norwegian Bliss, Alaska: Featuring world-class winemaker Salvatore Ferragamo of The Il Borro estate in Tuscany, Italy, producing world-class wines
- June 10, 2023* – Norwegian Bliss, Alaska: Featuring Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite Wine Dinner Hosted by Special Guest: Diane Flamand
- July 9, 2023* – Norwegian Encore, Alaska: Featuring Antonio Hidalgo of the globally recognised family-owned Spanish Sherry house, Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana, and Certified Angus Beef® Executive Chef Ashley Breneman
- Sept. 17, 2023 – Norwegian Prima, Northern Europe: Meet the Master Blender, Emma Walker of Johnnie Walker
- Oct. 22, 2023 – Norwegian Escape, Bermuda: Featuring Michael Mondavi of the Michael Mondavi Family Estate
- Oct. 28, 2023 – Norwegian Joy, Western Caribbean: Featuring Gérard Bertrand, “The Drinks Business” Master Winemaker of the Year 2023 recipient
- Oct. 29, 2023 – Norwegian Escape, Bermuda: Featuring Randy Ullom from the Kendall-Jackson family
*Guests will also have the opportunity to partake in a special wine-paired dinner featuring Certified Angus Beef®.
For more information on Meet the Winemakers, please visit here.
For more information about the Company’s award-winning 18-ship fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please get in touch with a travel professional, or visit https://www.ncl.com/.
ABOUT NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
As the innovator in global cruise travel, Norwegian Cruise Line has been breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising for 56 years. Most notably, the cruise line revolutionised the industry by offering guests the freedom and flexibility to design their ideal vacation on their preferred schedule with no assigned dining and entertainment times and no formal dress codes. Today, its fleet of 18 contemporary ships sail to nearly 400 of the world’s most desirable destinations, including Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private island in the Bahamas and its resort destination Harvest Caye in Belize. Norwegian Cruise Line not only provides superior guest service from land to sea, but also offers a wide variety of award-winning entertainment and dining options as well as a range of accommodations across the fleet, including solo-traveller staterooms, club balcony suites, spa-suites and The Haven by Norwegian®, the company’s ship-within-a-ship concept. For additional information or to book a cruise, contact a travel professional, or visit http://www.ncl.com. For the latest news and exclusive content, visit the NCL Newsroom and follow Norwegian Cruise Line on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube @NorwegianCruiseLine; and Twitter
Media Contact:
PublicRelations@ncl.com
Norwegian Cruise Line
Locally Issued by:
Kim Taylor, Big Ambitions
