Sail Windstar with Winemaker Eric Dunham of Dunham Cellars
Wind Surf's July 25, 2010 Rome to Venice Voyage
Windstar Cruises, which operates a three-ship fleet of luxury yachts that explore hidden harbors and secluded coves of the world's most treasured destinations, offers guests the opportunity to learn about wine making from Eric Dunham of award-winning Dunham Cellars aboard Wind Surf's July 25, 2010, Rome to Venice sailing.
Windstar's Signature Collection Host Series features distinguished guests and lecturers throughout the 2010 season, including Dunham. Dunham will discuss the wine making process during a lecture and question and answer session and also conduct wine tastings. When the ship is Dubrovnik, Dunham will host an exclusive shore excursion to the Dalmatian Coast wineries in Croatia.
Dunham trained in all phases of wine making through an internship with Hogue Cellars and served as assistant winemaker at the prestigious L'Ecole No. 41 winery under the tutelage of Marty Clubb. He handcrafted small lots of premium Cabernet Sauvignon under the Dunham Cellars name achieving prestigious awards including a Gold Medal and a 93 rating at the World Wine Championship. In the Spring of 1999, Dunham and his family opened the winery in a converted WWII airplane hanger at Walla Walla's Regional Airport. Dunham Cellars was "2008 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year" and their wines have received accolades from The Wall Street Journal, Wine Enthusiast and Food & Wine magazine.
Wind Surf's 7-day Rome to Venice itinerary includes Capri, Italy; Taormina, Italy; Kotor, Montenegro; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Hvar, Croatia. Cruise fares start at $1,949 per person, based on double occupancy.
To complement this sailing, Windstar is offering guests a special shore excursion with Dunham. The shore excursion begins with a scenic drive along the Adriatic Coast to the village of Komaji, home of the Crvik family's vineyards and winery, where guests have the opportunity to try wines from the region and meet winemaker Andro Crvik. Next is a specialty food tasting at Orasac, a village known for its olive oil productions, and a visit to the Milos Winery in Ponikve Village for a tasting at one of the regions' best-known wine cellars. From there, guests visit Mali Ston, the "oyster capital" of Croatia. Lunch is served at a local tavern featuring fresh seafood and local wines. The 7
