James Beard Award Winner to Host Select Cruises Alongside Guest Chefs and Winemakers. Guest Hosts Include Rob Mondavi Jr., Aarón Sánchez, Salvatore Ferragamo, and More

The 2019/2020 season of Norwegian Cruise Line’s popular Meet the Winemaker series is available on the brand’s latest and most innovative ships and will feature accomplished experts including Gerard Bertrand of Languedoc Roussillon; Juan Munoz of Columbia Crest; Bob Bertheau of Chateau Ste. Michelle; and Master Sommelier and three-time James Beard Award-winner, Andrea Robinson.

The experience will be available on select cruises aboard Norwegian Joy, Norwegian’s latest ship in North America; her sister ships Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Escape and soon-to-debut Norwegian Encore; as well as on the newly renovated Norwegian Dawn.

The seasonal program provides enthusiasts with exclusive opportunities to engage with winemakers and other experts through a variety of enriching seminars and activities including open-forum discussions, meet-and-greets, intimate wine tastings, and wine-paired dinners, interactive cooking demonstrations and educational sessions in The Cellars, A Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar available on Norwegian Bliss, Joy, Escape and Dawn.

This year, Robinson, who, in 1997 was the first female Master Sommelier to be recognized by the Sommelier Society of America, kicked off the Meet the Winemaker cruises on Norwegian Escape, alongside notable winemaker Antonio Hidalgo of the globally recognized, family-owned Spanish Sherry house – Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana. Robinson, also a known chef, television personality, author and recipient of three James Beard Awards in the categories of broadcast and restaurant/chef, will host an additional two cruises in the series. 

Andy Stuart, president, and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line said, “Our Meet the Winemaker series showcases our commitment to providing guests with one-of-a-kind experiences by providing them with access to today’s most innovative beverage and culinary leaders. We are very proud of this season’s lineup and excited to share it with our guests.”

Each of the cruises features vintages chosen by the expert and brought on board our ships for the exclusive events. Wine experiences range from $19.95 to $60 per person plus tax, and gratuity and may be reserved once on board.

The complete lineup of the 2019/20 Meet the Winemaker series includes:

• June 8, 2019 – Norwegian Joy: Bob Bertheau, head winemaker of Chateau Ste. Michelle
• August 17, 2019 – Norwegian Joy: Rob Mondavi Jr., son of Isabel and Michael Mondavi and a fourth-generation Napa Valley winemaker
• October 6, 2019 –Norwegian Bliss: Rob Mondavi Jr., son of Isabel and Michael Mondavi and a fourth-generation Napa Valley winemaker
• October 20, 2019 – Norwegian Escape: Salvatore Ferragamo, heir of famed Italian fashion house and owner of Il Borro Winery in Tuscany, Italy
• November 3, 2019 –Norwegian Bliss: Aarón Sánchez, award-winning chef, and owner of Johnny Sánchez restaurant, official chef ambassador for Terrazas de Los Andes and one of the world’s leading contemporary Latin chefs
• November 24, 2019 –Norwegian Joy: Juan Munoz Oca, head winemaker at Columbia Crest producing the winery’s portfolio of Reserve, H3, and Grand Estates wines
• December 1, 2019 – Norwegian Encore: Rob Mondavi Jr., son of Isabel and Michael Mondavi and a fourth-generation Napa Valley winemaker
• January 4, 2020 – Norwegian Escape: Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, Chef to be announced
• January 26, 2020 – Norwegian Encore: Jacques Lardiere, French winemaker recognized for Maison Louis Jadot Wines
• February 2, 2020 – Norwegian Dawn: Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson and Celebrity Chef J.J. Johnson, executive chef at the Henry at Life Hotel in Manhattan
• February 16, 2020 – Norwegian Encore: Gerard Bertrand, renowned vintner of Languedoc-Roussillon

About Norwegian Cruise Line

As the innovator in global cruise travel, Norwegian Cruise Line has been breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising for over 52 years. Most notably, the cruise line revolutionized 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 16 contemporary ships sail to nearly 300 of some 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-traveler staterooms, mini-suites, spa-suites and The Haven by Norwegian^®, the company’s ship-within-a-ship concept.

For more information or to book a cruise, please call +852 2165 6000 (English, Cantonese and Mandarin assistance)