A World of Wine and Food at Sea: Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 Wine List and Tastings

By David Skinner Fine wines and luxury travel go hand in hand but can often be out of reach of most budgets. With a bit of research though, there are ways to combine these two for less than princely sums and cruising is at the top of the list. Options abound for those who simply want to try some new wines while they enjoy the pampered lifestyle onboard and then there are voyages where every wine and food desire can be satisfied. The Cunard Line is home to a fleet of royalty namesakes that are not your typical cruise conveyances. […]

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How Oyster Bay Tamed Prickly Pinot Noir in New Zealand

By Greg M.P. Hughes Winemakers who specialize in Pinot Noir are some of the hardest working viticulturists on the planet. This grape’s thin skin makes it extremely vulnerable to diseases, makes colour extraction torture to get right, and yields are minuscule (not a tremendous ROI compared to Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz). Pinot Noir’s idiosyncrasies are enough to make even hardened pro winemakers tear their hair out. That is why Pinot Noir is one of the most misunderstood selections that wine experts explain to their audiences. Most people understand it as byword for a quality wine, but have no idea what […]

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