Fans of fine cabernet, merlot and chardonnay will have the opportunity to taste ultra premium wines in style aboard Silversea’s June 21, 2008 Alaska cruise. John Shafer, chairman of Shafer Vineyards in Napa Valley, CA will be aboard to host a Wine & Food enrichment program featuring the vintner’s award-winning wines. The 10-day voyage aboard the intimate, all-inclusive Silver Shadow sails from Vancouver to under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco with calls in Sitka, Haines, Juneau, and Ketchikan, Alaska plus Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
The group will end the voyage at the Shafer Vineyard Estate with a private tour and tasting of Shafer's Hillside Select with owners John and Barbara Shafer.
Joining Shafer is Randy Aprill, Executive Chef at the elite Silicon Valley Capital Club in San Jose, CA. Aprill was formerly a chef in the White House, where he cooked in the president’s kitchen for State dinners and dignitaries. The pair will offer wine tastings, enlightening discussions, culinary demonstrations and an exclusive winemaker dinner featuring Shafer wines and Aprill’s signature American and Classical cuisine.
Shafer wines have earned much critical praise since the vintner’s first cabernet was produced in 1978. Shafer was one of a few wineries selected worldwide to be featured in Robert M. Parker, Jr.’s book, The World’s Greatest Wine Estates,” where he writes that Shafer is “one of the world’s greatest wineries.” Wine & Spirits magazine also places Shafer “among the world’s Top 25 Great Vineyards.”
“We’ll share 10 days of incredible wine and cuisine amidst the dramatic, breathtaking landscapes of Alaska,” says John Shafer. “This unforgettable adventure will include private tastings of Shafer wines including our signature Hillside Select Cabernet, cooking demonstrations, and a fabulous winemaker dinner as we travel along the stunning Alaskan coast.”
Expert Alaska guides will also be on board to add personal insights and offer slide lectures of the history, nature, and peoples of the region as the ultra-luxury Silver Shadow navigates Alaska’s pristine glacial passages.
Guests will find their wine and food adventures enhanced by the 382-passenger Silver Shadow’s state-of-the art culinary theater equipped with professional-caliber appliances and cookware custom designed by Viking Range. The six-star, all-inclusive vessel offers discriminating diners a choice of four top class restaurants, The Restaurant, La Terrazza, Poolside Grill or the intimate Wine Restaurant by Relais & Châteaux designed to celebrate the rich heritage of some of the world’s most distinguished wine regions. Silversea is a member cruise line of the exclusive Relais & Châteaux – Relais & Gourmand international association.
Prices for this exciting wine and culinary cruise begin at $5,690 per person including a 20% savings. For more information and a Silversea brochure contact Michael Mastrocola at msmastrocola@sbcglobal.net, 831-659-0151, or visit www.mmtravel.net.
About Shafer Vineyard
Since crushing their first Cabernet grapes in 1978, Shafer Vineyard has been producing ultra-premium, awarding-winning wines. Their debut Cabernet became a benchmark, winning the acclaimed San Francisco Vintners Club taste-off upon release. Today, under the father-son team of John and Doug Shafer and winemaker Elias Fernandez, Shafer wines are consistently ranked among the world’s best. In 2006 Shafer Hillside Select ranked among the top three on Wine Spectator magazine’s list of Top 50 Cabernets and their chardonnay was among the magazine’s Top 100 Wines. Shafer wines have also received several top-in-the-nation honors from Food & Wine magazine’s “American Wine Awards”; in 2007 the magazine selected Shafer Merlot as Top Merlot for the third time in four years. Shafer produces 32,000 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, and Syrah wines, which are available in major markets nationwide and in many foreign markets. The winery employs numerous eco-friendly practices including low impact, sustainable agriculture in its vineyards, abstaining from using chemical fertilizers or insecticides, and operating under 100 percent solar power.
About Chef Randy Aprill
Chef Randy Aprill is Executive Chef for the exclusive Silicon Valley Capital Club in San Jose, CA. He currently prepares American cuisine with Asian influences, although he is well versed in both American and Classical cuisine. He began his classical training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. After a stint at the Hotel Inter-Continental in Hilton Head Island, SC he moved to the Blair House in Washington D.C., where he prepared classical and American cuisine for Heads of State visits. During Chef Randy’s extensive culinary career, he worked as a chef in the White House, where he cooked in the President's kitchen for State Dinners and dignitaries. Later he was Executive Chef to the University President at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. He won the 'Taste of Williamsburg' six consecutive years in a row and was featured in numerous articles for best high-end catering in the area.
About Silversea
Silversea is renowned for its six-star, all-suite, all-inclusive luxury. The line offers guests large-ship amenities aboard intimate vessels designed to offer an atmosphere of congeniality and casual elegance. Ships feature all ocean view suites, most with private veranda; complimentary fine wines and spirits served throughout the ship; fully stocked in-suite beverage cabinet; open seating dining; fine Bulgari toiletries and luxurious Frette linens. All onboard gratuities are included in the cruise fare. Silversea has been voted "World's Best" small ship line by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler nine times and six times by the readers of Travel & Leisure. For more information visit www.silversea.com; for print and electronic images visit http://www.silversea.com/image_library.
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