A wine romantic, such as myself, will always look for ways to explore wine whenever they travel. On our way back from Australia we took a repositioning cruise from Sydney to San Francisco. Those who know me know that I always look for ways turn our travels into wine adventures. Yes, I know there are wine cruises but most cruises are not. Hence, I checked for any wine events being offered onboard. Fortunately, I discovered Food and Wine Pair Tastings being offered during our days at sea. One of those was Super Tuscan Lunch.
Just a Splash of Tuscan Wines © Spaswinefood
We attended two of these events during our South Pacific Travels. The first event was held in one of special dining room options at lunch time where they featured five wines from around the world. The first event, was billed as an international wine tasting, it featured five wines. Wine #1: M. Haslinger & Fils, Brut Champagne, NV, Wine #2: Feudi di San Gregorio, Greco di Tufo, DOCG Campania 2021, Wine #3: Cloudy Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, 2021,Wine #4: Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 2018, and Wine #5: Opus One, Napa Valley 2015 (see article)
This post will be on what on the second lunch we attended, which was billed as a Super Tuscan Lunch.
Super Tuscan Lunch © Spaswinefood
A Super Tuscan Lunch
Let me introduce the wine and food pairings served.
Wine #1: Veuve Cicquot NV
Veuve Cicquot NV © Spaswinefood
Food: Bresaola della Valtellina
Bresaola della Valtellina © Spaswinefood
In case you are wondering Bresaola della Valtellina PGI is a high-quality cured meat, exclusively from the best cuts of selected bovine thighs.
Vegetarian Option: Caprese Salad
Caprese Salad © Spaswinefood
Wine #2: Villa Antinori Bianco IGT 2022
Food: Insalata di Mare
Vegetarian Option: Veggie Salad
Veggie Salad © Spaswinefood
Wine #3: Gaja Ca” Marcanda Promis 2020
Gaja Ca” Marcanda Promis 2020 © Spaswinefood
Food: Tuscany Ribollita
Tuscany Ribollita © Spaswinefood
I loved this hearty Tuscan soup with cannellini beans, tomatoes, kale, and garnished with bread.
Gaja Ca” Marcanda Promis 2020 is beautiful blend of Merlot, Syrah, and Sangiovese. This highly polished Super Tuscan is from Gaja's estate in Bolgheri.
Wine #4: Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2020
Food: Risotto alla Milanese
Risotto alla Milanese © Spaswinefood
Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva, with its 24 months of aging, is a blend of Sangiovese together with other complementary varieties. This wine is a tribute to Antinori’s historic label, which has been part of the family’s winemaking tradition. It brought memories of our earlier visit to the Chianti Classico region.
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| Caparsa Wine Estate, Tuscany October 2011 © Spaswinefood |
Wine #5: Luce della Vite Lucente 2016
In the Glass: Luce della Vite Lucente 2016 © Spaswinefood
Tenuta Luce Della Vite “Lucente” Toscana IGT is one of the few great wines to seek out for a Super Tuscan adventure. It is a blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Sangiovese, and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. It consistently gets high praise. This wine produced by the Frescobaldi family has been described as fruit-forward, with dried cherry and plum flavors, and a sweet tannin finish.
Food: Beef Tenderloin
Beef Tenderloin © Spaswinefood
Vegetarian Option: Spaghetti
Spagetti © Spaswinefood
Dessert: Diplomatica di Milano with Limoncello
Diplomatica di Milano with Limoncello © Spaswinefood
Of course, we enjoye,d not only the wines and food but also, meeting new folks during our cruise.
Those Super Tuscans © Spaswinefood
We so enjoyed this wine and food pairing lunch, as did most participants. My vegetarian options were well done. The staff is well versed in catering to dietary needs. For sure getting to taste a variety of Italian wines from Tuscany over lunch was awesome.
Tasting Super Tuscans and More, South Pacific Style
Again, it was most appreciated starting lunch with Champagne. The Brut Champagne was a good wine to kick-off the tasting. On a personal note, I loved being introduced to the Italian wines served (the two Villa Antinori wines, a white wine and a Chianti Classico Riserva), a Gaja Ca” Marcanda Promis 2020, a Super Tuscan, and concluding the tasting with another Super Tuscan, Tenuta Luce Della Vite Lucente,.
I would like to note that defining a Super Tuscan can be tricky task. Most Super Tuscans consist of several key varieties however, the blends can vary. Commonly grapes used in Super Tuscan wines are the classic Italian variety Sangiovese, with international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc.
In case you are wondering Super Tuscan wines arrived in 70's and 80's. It was a category born of frustration with Italy’s traditional wine production rules. Some producers sought to make modern styles and experiment outside the restrictions of the Italian appellation system, like the Denominazione d’Origine Controllata (DOC).
Before leaving Sydney we (John and I) did Chateau Tanuda wine tasting, and we even managed a wine trip to the Hunter Valley. Likewise there were two stops in New Zealand, which we turned into wine adventures. I looked for ways turn part of our cruise into wine travel. While typically, my wine country travels takes me to wine regions around the world, it was fun to have a wine adventure at sea. It certainly added excitement to those sea days, which are numerous on a repositioning cruise. I invite you to join me in my Pacific Ocean travels and elsewhere at Wine Travels with Dr. Sharon, and at Spaswinefood on Twitter and Facebook. I am so looking forward to sharing more on my vine-filled explorations.
CHEERS!
Sharon
April 2024
Pacific Ocean Cruise
© Spaswinefood
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I'll end with the two wine quotes that at the end of the menu for the above tasting:
In wine there is truth Pliny the Elder
Wine is sunlight, held together by water Galileo Galilei
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