Cruise editor Rebecca Tobin and her father, Richard, spent a
weekend visiting vineyards in California's Sonoma and Napa regions
with American Safari Cruises. Her report follows:
hen I was in college, I
telephoned my father -- one could call him an amateur wine
connoisseur (i.e., he likes to drink wine) -- to ask which vino
would best complement my Thanksgiving turkey.
His response, which I saved on my voice mail for months, was
about five minutes long and explored all the possibilities of
Beaujolais.
So Dad was a natural choice for my companion on American Safari
Cruises' four-day California Wine Country cruise, which afforded us
just enough time to fly out to San Francisco, bond over a few
glasses of pinot noir and fly back to our respective homes.
Aboard the ship, the Safari Quest, we also had plenty of
opportunities to bond with our fellow wine enthusiasts, who hailed
from across the U.S. and who were our pre-dinner companions, dinner
companions, hot-tubbing companions and, yes, drinking
companions.
American Safari bills the voyage as "the ultimate wine-lover's
yachting experience," although guests don't have to be amateur wine
connoisseurs to appreciate and enjoy the trip.
For example, my wine-sampling ritual is: swirl glass, smell,
frown, look knowledgeable, drink and then say -- in a profound way
-- "Tastes good!" My father, on the other hand, can identify
"bouquets."
Luckily for us, this was not a highbrow tour. American Safari
prides itself on an intimate, upscale, inclusive and top-dollar
yachting experience, but it's also as down-to-earth and friendly as
it gets.
In fact, my dad wore jeans to dinner every night and couldn't
have been happier.
No IDs are needed to board the Safari Quest, the line's largest
vessel. With a maximum of 30 people, including crew, on board
everybody is pretty much recognized on sight.
Our group gathered around the ship's lounge-cum-living room for
introductions and cocktails. Another American Safari perk: Alcohol,
even the top-shelf kind, is included in its rates.
"Feel free to go behind the bar and fix yourself a drink if
Rachel [the steward and bartender] is busy," said our enthusiastic
"wine escort," Renee Weber.
Weber explained, step-by-step, the itinerary over the next few
days. The first thing she tackled: How we were going to "cruise"
the Napa Valley when, really, there's not a whole lot of water to
cruise in.
The yacht sails up two small rivers: the Petaluma and the Napa.
The Petaluma, in particular, is so shallow that the vessel must
transit exactly at high tide or risk getting stuck in the mud.
My father spent that morning on the bridge, sitting in the
special visitor's chair and talking nautical terminology as captain
Tim Voss carefully steered the Safari Quest.
Each day after the ship docked, we all piled into a "luxury
motorcoach" and visited one local artist's home and two
wineries.
American Safari changes the program often, so don't judge the
itinerary by the brochure. Our weekend included trips to Champagne
Taittinger's U.S. subsidiary Domaine Carneros and Schug Cellars the
first day, and Clos Pegase and Chappellet Vineyard the second.
"What we do is try to balance [the itineraries]," said Dan
Blanchard, American Safari's president.
The highlight of the program was our late-afternoon walk through
the Chappellet vineyards. A soft, late afternoon light filtered
over the hills as we picked grapes off the vines and drank in the
fresh air.
A candle-lit lunch in a wine cave at Clos Pegase was another
treat.
Most agreed that the most bizarre experience was our visit to an
avant-garde art gallery owned by Rene di Rosa, who collected a
houseful of late '60s, California-sourced artwork.
Nobody on our cruise admitted to liking the work -- "disturbing"
was the adjective most frequently used -- especially when compared
with our visit the next day to trompe d'oeil painter Carlo
Marchiori's villa, which guests deemed "delightful."
Because this was a cruise, I grew hungry as soon as I stepped on
board and never passed up a chance to eat -- again showing a lack
of aptitude by pairing cabernet with warm, fresh-baked cookies.
Each night at dinner, we were given a choice of entree, or could
have "half-n-half," one of each. The last night, for example,
featured lobster and/or lamb. The food was nothing short of amazing
and was complemented by local wines picked up during stops along
the voyage -- and heartily enjoyed by our new friends onboard.
For more on American Safari Cruises, see related
stories:
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• American Safari eyes suite ship