“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans,” wrote Ernest Hemingway in A Moveable Feast.
Likewise, if you enjoy drinking wine and pairing it to enhance flavors, then as you happily make plans for your next charter experience be sure and include special wines to help you savor the tastes of the sea and the thrill of the journey.
Wine is a unique beverage that not only makes us happy, but if paired appropriately, can intensify the flavors of food and augment experiences. For instance, sitting on the aft deck eating appetizers as you watch the sun setting into the distant horizon is a magical experience. Toasting that sunset with a delicious glass of wine or champagne complements the magic. Because everyone has a unique palate, this article is not to describe which specific wines to pair with which dishes, it is only to suggest that including bottles that are special to you and enjoyable to your palate are important items to pack or pre-order for an even better yachting adventure.
Depending on where you are headed, you may have an excellent selection of wines to choose from as you pre-provision or once you reach your destination. If that is the case, you can view a pre-provision list and select several bottles to suit your needs. However, some tropical areas have limited selections of wine options and if that is the case, you should pack a wine suitcase with careful thought.
Just as you plan your wardrobe for your charter, your wine selection should include a variety of bottles to align with your arrangements. Because luggage restrictions may necessitate limiting the amount of wine you can carry, you should also prioritize your preferences. To transport your treasures, there are several options for ensuring your wine makes it safely to your destination.
Google “wine travel cases” and dozens of options pop up; from expensive hard cases to reasonably priced soft sided cases with foam inserts, to purchasing just the foam inserts to place in luggage you already own. There are products out there made especially for traveling with wine.
How should you prioritize your picks for perfect pairings during your charter? First, think about the experiences you would like to enhance. If you are commemorating a special event, or if every day aboard will be an occasion, you should include the wine of celebration, Champagne.
From the moment you peel off the foil, untwist the cage, then pop the cork, you are primed to party. This effervescent wine sets the scene for a special experience, and isn’t being on a yacht in the aqua blue sea a truly outstanding occasion? Whether you enjoy a toast with a vintage Champagne, a sparkling rosé, a Cava, or a flute of Prosecco, bubbly pairs with joy.
If you know ahead of your charter that you will be going to a special restaurant, or enjoying a beach barbecue, select a special bottle to take to shore with you. Most places either charge a nominal corkage fee or welcome you bringing a special bottle of wine to enjoy with your meal, particularly after beginning the evening with one of their special tropical cocktails.
As for enhancing your flavors, depending on your charter you will have input in the provisions and meals for your adventure, so include wines that to you, make the food taste better. For example if you know you will be having fresh local fish, find a bottle that is slightly acidic and crisp such as a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or an unoaked Chardonnay. For spicy dishes, something slightly sweet will balance the flavors like a Pinot Gris, dry Riesling, or Gewürztraminer.
If you plan to enjoy local seafood but prefer reds, find a less tannic wine like Pinot Noir,
Pinotage, Gamay, or Primitivo. For a delicious compromise, rosé wines of any varietal pair wonderfully with food, and because you will be in a tropical climate these more robust pink or coral hued wines are served chilled, making them a refreshing alternative.
For steak night, or grilled surf and turf, enjoy a more full bodied red such as a Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, a Tempranillo, Syrah, or Sangiovese; but again, there are no rules. If you prefer a rosé or white with your steak, go for it. Perhaps a rosé from the Provence region of France, or one made with a fuller bodied red varietal would pair nicely. For some, Champagne goes well with steak as do other acidic white varieties like Sancerre, since the acid cuts through the fat so the taste of the meat will not overpower the flavors of the wine.
There are hundreds of thousands of wines on the market in a very wide range of prices. There are guidelines for pairing wines with food, but ultimately, everybody has their own preferences.
So, as you mindfully plan for your charter vacation, prioritize and pick several bottles of wine you enjoy to embellish the activities you will encounter on your trip. However, since yacht charterers are an adventurous bunch, leave open the opportunity to try new varietals and/or pairings while you traverse the bright blue waters and indulge in the taste of the sea.
Speaking of sailing vacation, SAIL GLOBAL is going to have 2-3 sessions of 3-day and 2-night long distance sailing tour from Shenzhen to Hongkong in December. Grab your bottles and join us. We are gonna toast in the Victoria harbor to embrace a promising coming year.
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