Taste The Wines of Europe with Oz Clarke
A new wine holiday, hosted by leading wine connoisseur Oz Clarke and Vinopolis' resident expert Tom Forrest, is now on sale.
Taking in renowned vineyards throughout France, Spain and Portugal during the 2012 grape harvest, the 12-night holiday on board Celebrity Cruises' ship Celebrity Constellation allows travellers to enjoy events such as introductions to wine tasting, wine and cheese pairing, wine master classes on the regions visited, blind wine tastings, appreciating the impact of glassware on wine and informal meet-and-greet sessions.
To offer guests an enhanced experience, Celebrity Cruises has partnered with Vinopolis, the food and wine tasting destination in the heart of London's Borough market, to offer a private group a number of bespoke events.
On board sessions are led by Vinopolis' Tom Forrest, with special guest Oz Clarke. Tom and Oz regularly host similar events at Vinopolis, and win rave reviews for their informal, witty and no-nonsense approach to wine tasting.
Guests booking the Vinopolis/Oz Clarke cruise will have the opportunity to gain further knowledge of the wine regions visited with Bordeaux and Rioja masterclasses, as well as gain a broader understanding of the old world wines across the regions.
In between wine tasting events and excursions to renowned vineyards in each of the destinations, the immersive wine holiday also allows guests to enjoy the first-class restaurants and bars on board the recently refurbished ship.
The 12-night Vinopolis Europe immersive wine cruise departs Southampton on 13th October 2012 and calls at Paris (Le Havre, France), Bordeaux (Le Verdon, France) Bilbao (Spain), Vigo (Spain) and Porto (Portugal).
Prices start from £769 per person for an inside stateroom, and £1,049 for a balcony stateroom and price includes meals and entertainment on board the ship and all on board wine tasting events with Oz Clarke and/or Tom Forrest.
During the Vinopolis immersive wine cruise the series of bespoke shore excursions on offer include visits to many of Europe's top wine producing vineyards such as the Rioja Wine Tour and the Margaux Wine Tour, taking guests to Bordeaux's prestigious wine-growing region which produces the most delicate of the wines of Bordeaux.
As part of the partnership between Celebrity Cruises and Vinopolis, there will be further events including a wine tasting master class taking place in London at Vinopolis and opportunities for visitors to the food and wine tasting destination - including its many bars and restaurants - to win a Celebrity Cruises wine-themed holiday.
As well as the exclusive Vinopolis immersive wine cruise, Celebrity Cruises is offering a series of wine harvest sailings from Southampton during autumn 2012.
Further sailings are available on 7th and 19th September; 1st and 25th October; and 6th and 18th November 2012.
In 2013 Celebrity Cruises will offer a similar season of wine-themed cruises departing from Harwich on the newly refurbished Celebrity Infinity.
For more information and to book the Vinopolis Europe immersive wine cruise featuring Oz Clarke and Tom Forrest please call Celebrity Cruises direct on 0844 481 7682 and quote 'Vinopolis' or visit www.celebritycruises.co.uk.