Virginia Wineries Take Center Stage in the Mediterranean
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- For years, California wineries have been leading wine enthusiasts on extraordinary wine vacations throughout the World, from upscale cruises to cross-land adventures. Enter stage right: Virginia wineries. In 2009, Pearmund Cellars and Winery at LaGrange, located close to the populated Northern Virginia suburbs, became the first Virginia wineries to lead a wine cruise. The cruise proved extraordinarily successful. Sailing Rome to Barcelona with 84 of the winery's guests onboard upscale Oceania Cruises, the wine enthusiasts visited some of the most important, and picturesque, wine regions in Europe including Chianti, St. Tropez, and Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
The success of the Pearmund cruise has spawned more wineries to jump "onboard" in 2010, planning to offer their own wine cruises. According to Jim Bogaty, vintner at award-winning Veramar Vineyard of Berryville, Virginia, he views the concept as a win for everyone. According to Bogaty, "These travel experiences not only bring guests together who share a common passion for wine and travel, but they also elevate Virginia's wine through the publicity they generate and the potential to introduce Virginia wine to an audience that otherwise might never have tried it." Bogaty and his wife, Della and wine-maker/son, Justin, have just announced plans to lead a Rome to Barcelona cruise aboard Oceania Cruises June 17-27, 2010. The cruise visits many unique ports-of-call, including Cinque Terre, Portofino, and Bonifacio, Italy and Marseille, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, and Sanary-sur-Mer, France. Bogaty says he's also planning some extraordinary wine-themed excursions, along with onboard wine tastings, a food-and-wine pairing dinner, and cocktail receptions that will be exclusively available to his guests onboard. The rate of the cruise through August 31(st) begins at $2,999 per person. The rate includes roundtrip airfare from select major gateways, cruise taxes, complimentary gratuities, all wine-themed onboard activities, complimentary soft drinks, and the opportunity to join Bogaty on exclusively-arranged shore excursions.
Philip Carter Winery of Hume, Virginia, also has announced plans to lead a 2010 wine cruise. Lawyer and vintner, Philip Strother, and his wife Danielle, will host the cruise, which sails Barcelona to Rome April 4-14, 2010, aboard Oceania Cruises, visiting the French Riviera (including Monte Carlo) and the gorgeous Amalfi Coast of Italy. In addition to hosting onboard wine tastings, and a food-and-wine pairing dinner, Strother also plans a unique twist for his guests. Strother, who in his law practice has specialized in representing Virginia wineries, plans to offer onboard lectures for guests interested in learning what is involved in running a winery both from the legal and business perspectives. Strother, whose winery's tagline is "The First Family of Virginia Wine," also plans to share with guests a bit of the history involved in Virginia wine production, which dates back to colonial days. The rate of the cruise through August 31(st) begins at $2,699 per person. This rate includes roundtrip airfare from select gateways, complimentary gratuities, $200 spa credit, complimentary soft drinks, and onboard wine-themed activities.
Chris and Lisa Pearmund also have announced plans to return to Europe in 2010 on a unique river cruise. The 2010 Pearmund Cruise, which also will include Winery at LaGrange and Vint Hill Craft wineries, will sail the Rhone River through Burgundy & Provence June 27-July 4, 2010 aboard the upscale River Royal of Uniworld. "The 2009 experience was extraordinary. We are anxious to return to Europe offering a completely different experience aboard a river boat in 2010," commented Chris Pearmund. The cruise will include a complimentary shore excursion in each port of call, complimentary use of bicycles, and complimentary wine served at dinner. These amenities are in addition to the onboard wine tasting and cocktail reception, and the exclusively-arranged wine-themed shore excursions guests have the option of taking with the Pearmunds. The rate on the 2010 Pearmund cruise begins at $2,799 for a river view stateroom, but for bookings made through September 30(th) is offered at a $150 per person discount.
Guests can book on the Veramar or Philip Carter cruises with a deposit of $750 per person, with $700 refundable if cancelled for any reason prior to final payment. Guests interested in the 2010 Pearmund cruise may book with a deposit of $200 per person. Booking must be made through Cruise Holidays of Alexandria by calling (866) 368-7327. Additional information is available at http://www.LuxuryCruiseCounselors.com.
Cruise Holidays, established in 1984, has 116 independently-owned locations and is the oldest network of cruise-specialty retail franchises in North America. The Alexandria location specializes in the upper-premium and luxury cruise markets, is fully licensed and insured, and has achieved Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) and Master Cruise Counselor (MCC) status with the Cruise Line International Association. It is a recommended provider for numerous cruise lines, and a preferred provider for Oceania Cruises.
SOURCE Cruise Holidays