(Contributed by Kevin Fagan) Yachting is a luxurious experience and a time for you to sit back, soak in the serene views and enjoy a superyacht party. That’s why it is natural to expect an impressive wine selection on board. But sometimes it can become rather difficult to experience such a luxury that meets perfectly with your standards. To say it simply, having an exceptional wine tasting list on the yacht is rare.
Generally, there is no experienced sommelier on board, so it becomes the host’s, or the chief steward’s/ chief stewardess’s duty to craft a well-planned list and create a memorable experience and host an amazing superyacht party.
Understanding Wines
Choosing wines for your yacht party and ensuring excellent wine service involves prior knowledge. You should have an understanding of different wine regions, grape varieties, production methods, and, crucially, the specific selection available onboard. This will not only improve your wine knowledge but also take your superyacht party to the next level.
Besides this, a good understanding of the yacht’s wine cellar is also important. Knowing what’s in the stock can help you make good decisions and recommendations to the guests. Make sure the temperature inside the cellar is perfectly maintained. This way each bottle will be served at its best, making way for a stellar evening.
Creating a Wine List for Your Super Yacht Party
A wine list for the yacht should be structured in a way that it seems logical parallelly aligning with the format of the meal. Generally, you should start the celebrations with sparkling wine, followed by whites, rosés, reds and dessert wines. It’s important that you list wines under every category according to their origin.
Meals on your superyacht will tend to start with a sparkling wine. The best way to ensure enough wine is by stocking at least one Brut Champagne, one rosé Champagne and one or two prestige Champagnes, such as Cristal or Krug. Prosecco is quite popular and thus may make a welcome addition. A smooth Spanish Cava will also make a pretty good addition to the menu.
When it comes to white wines it’s important to have at least three to four different styles on board. First, you’ll want to have crisp, light and unoaked wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. The second should be medium to full-bodied oaked white wines. And the last ones should be aromatic wines with a hint of sugar in them that go excellently with spicy foods.
The structuring of the wine list also depends on the size of the selection. Suppose there are a majority of references of red and white wines on board, just label them under the categories- “red wines” and “white wines”. On the other hand, it is also suitable to list the wines under their origin countries and regions.
While listing the names of particular wines, it’s always a good practice to use a consistent format. Start or finish with the vintage, followed by the name of the producer and the region of the origin. Simply listing the wine name and region of birth isn’t sufficient. Without stating the producer and vintage it doesn’t offer the guests enough information to make an informed choice.
How to Manage a Variety of Wines on Board
Managing a variety of wines on a yacht is quite different and trickier than at a traditional party setting. The yacht continuously moves around which may be a challenge when you want to source the wines you need in some locations. Often several people are involved in purchasing, which can further complicate things.
But here’s the thing, with certain planning different collections of wines can be managed on board. For this you should regularly take stock of your inventory to check the state and maturity of the wines. Look for wines that are too old for consumption and can be gotten rid of to free up space. This not only helps you keep track of your wine collections but also makes way for new exotic wines to try and suggest to your guests.
The Art of Pairing Wine with Food
Knowing what wines should be paired with which dish is an art in itself. It’s not necessary to have absolute expertise in this in order to provide your guest with the ultimate superyacht experience. Just having a basic understanding of how different wines complement various dishes is enough. You can work closely with the chef to plan in advance which wine to serve with each dish.
This might seem as a small detail but goes a long way especially if the guests are your closest pals. When you as a host start paying attention to such nuances of hospitality at a super yacht party, it becomes the talk of the month. Mastering the art of hosting a super yacht party not only elevates the onboard experience but also reflects your passion to provide such luxury and sophistication to your guests.
Best Wines to Serve on the Super Yacht
Some of the options for great wines that you can make sure to list in your next super yacht parties are given below. Feel free to mix and match according to your style and preferences.
- Sparkling Wines
- Champagne
- NV Louis Roederer, Brut Premier
- 2006 Dom Pérignon
- 2008 Billecart Salmon Rosé
- 2011 Amour de Deutz Rosé
- White Wine
France
- 2009 Domaine Leflaive, Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Folaitiéres – Burgundy
- 2009 Trimbach, Clos St Hune – Alsace
- 2010 William Fevre, Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos – Burgundy
- 2012 Baron de L, Ladoucette – Pouilly Fumé – Loire
- 2013 Domaine Vacheron, Le Paradis – Sancerre – Loire
Italy
- 2012 Angelo Gaja, Gaja & Rey – Langhe
- 2014 Cantina Terlano, Nova Domus – Alto Adige
- 2015 Silvio Jermann, Pinot Grigio – Venezia Giulia
- 2015 La Scholca – Gavi di Gavi
Other Countries
- 2010 Kistler Chardonnay Les Noisetiers, Sonoma, California – USA
- 2015 Paso Senorans, Rias Baixas – Spain
- 2015 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc – Marlborough – New Zealand
- Rosé Wine
- 2015 Domaines Ott, Clos Mireille, Côte de Provence – France
- 2015 Château d´Esclans, Les Clans, Côte de Provence – France
- 2015 Château Pibarnon, Bandol – France
France
- Red Wine
France
- 1996 Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac – Bordeaux
- 2008 Château Montrose, Saint Estephe – Bordeaux
- 2008 Clos des Papes, Châteauneuf du Pape – Rhône
- 2009 Domaine de Montille, Volnay 1er Cru Les Taillepieds- Burgundy
- 2010 Domaine Meo Camuzet, Gevrey Chambertin- Burgundy
Italy
- 2004 Cretto Bricco Rocche, Barolo – Piedmont
- 2007 Biondi Santi, Brunello di Montalcino – Tuscany
- 2010 Antinori, Tignanello – Tuscan
Other Countries
- 2004 Único, Vega Sicilia – Ribera del Duero – Spain
- 2010 Cheval des Andes, Mendoza- Argentina
- 2011 Au Bon Climat, Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara, California – USA
- 2019 Opus One, Napa Valley, California, USA
- 2019 Domaine Serene, Oregon, USA
Dessert Wines
- 1999 Royal Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos,Tokaji – Hungary
- 2010 Château Rieussec, Sauternes – France
- Graham’s 20 year Tawny Port
- Far Niente Il Dolce
Final Thoughts
With all that being said, you must feel confident about hosting your next yacht party. Remember, everything on board doesn’t have to be perfect. The important thing is that you and your guests have fun and enjoy the serene views with a glass of wine in hand. Attention to small details, keeping track of logistics and creating a delightful atmosphere is what your guests will always remember and come back for.
About the Author: Kevin Fagan is a food & travel writer, based in New-England. He likes to (try to ) cook gourmet food at home, and travel to far-flung destinations.