Exploring Wine Culture with The World

A crisp Sauvignon Blanc enjoyed in a Marlborough winery. Syrah from the Barossa Valley glowing ruby red in a crystal decanter. From Napa Cabs to Galician Albariños, no vine is left unturned when you live aboard The World. Whether identifying aroma compounds is your favorite hobby or you simply like to savor a glass at mealtime, wine enrichment is a natural part of your experience around the globe.

Wine enjoyed with a meal on one of The World’s private verandas.

Vineyards across the Northern Hemisphere are bustling with activity during fall crush season, but on the other side of the world, the season kicks off in February. All year round, wine education enhances your time on The World, and each destination is an opportunity to sharpen your knowledge with firsthand experiences on estates, in vineyards, and tasting rooms.

As part of our curated and award-winning wine program, we are thrilled to welcome aboard guest winemakers when we arrive in their homelands. In February, we welcomed Claude Rouquet of Cathiard Vineyard, a 280-acre winery in the Napa Valley. This past summer, Christian Liistro introduced the wines of Tenuta delle Terre Nere — where a treasured vineyard and olive grove thrive under the shadow of Mount Etna.

Most recently, as The World sailed from Peniscola to Palamos, Spain, Residents enjoyed a deep dive into the bold world of Spanish wines led by José Ramón Urtasun, esteemed winemaker and owner of Remírez de Ganuza winery. After sipping and learning the stories behind some of the winery’s finest bottles – many of which can be found in the cellars of three Michelin–starred restaurants – Residents enjoyed an exclusive, five-course winemaker’s dinner with wine pairings personally selected by Jose.

Spanish wine selections from José Ramón Urtasun.

A toast to The World
Big announcement! The World has been awarded the Best Ship Wine List in the World for the 11th year in a row, the most prestigious accolade from The World of Fine Wine magazine.

Linda Schultes, The World’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, proudly accepts the Ship’s award from The World of Fine Wine magazine Food Editor and World’s Best Wine Lists Award Judge, Francis Percival, at London’s historic The Savoy Hotel.

On our September foray in Cape Town, South Africa, our focus turned toward the famed wines of the Western Cape. We were joined by guest winemaker Emma Bruwer from Springfield Estate wines for a tasting and wine-paired dinner in Portraits restaurant. Rooted in the mountain-ringed Robertson Wine Valley, Springfield Estate is a family-run wine farm owned by ninth-generation descendants of French Huguenots who arrived in South Africa from the Loire Valley in 1688 with bundles of vines under their arms. Emma’s family has run the farm since 1898 and together they honor their heritage through techniques like wild fermentation, gravity flow and other traditional winemaking methods.

December will bring a special wine tasting and winemaker’s dinner with Hewitson wines, who will travel to the Ship from their winery in Australia’s Barossa Valley. Joining The World during its visit to Darwin, their winemaker will honor Old World traditions with modern techniques.

As a final flourish, we are excited to announce the latest addition to The World Barrel program. The Journey, a bespoke 2022 Bordeaux barrel, is The World’s inaugural vintage. With a limited release of just 288 bottles, this highly anticipated wine was first released this past spring and the remaining bottles are being aged on board to be enjoyed in restaurants by the end of 2027. We’re thrilled to begin the process all over again at the end of 2025 when our next exclusive barrel bottling will arrive from Australia.