In this latest guest blog, AMA Waterways river cruiser Natalie Ford explains what she learned on her wine-tasting excursion and shares her on-board experiences of wine, food, quizzes and more food.
So how do you taste a wine?
You start by looking at the colour – a shiny clear wine is what you are looking for, a sheet of white paper always helps to see the true colour
You then tilt the glass for the first smell
You then swirl the glass for a minimum of 15 seconds to open the wine and let the air in
You then tilt and have the second smell – by now the wine may have changed from the first smell
You then get to put your hard work into tasting the wine … you should keep in your mouth for a few seconds and take a breath
If the taste is with you after five seconds of swallowing … you have a good wine.
A white chardonnay, a young red and a full-bodied red wine later, it was time to leave Jean Jacques and make our journey back to the ship. Lunch was served in perfect time as we arrived back at the ship. Again, I chose the lighter option in the main lounge, chicken wraps and a delicious salad.
At 15:00, we were presented with a talk and demonstration on silk painting and printing by a local producer in the main lounge. It was great to learn more about the historic industry that made Lyon famous throughout Europe. From 16:00-17:00, afternoon tea was served and I really did try to resist but was drawn in by the stunning cakes so perfectly presented in the main lounge. (Note to self – must get to the gym at some point!)
At 18:45, John our Cruise Manager, gave a talk on what to expect for our next port of call – Vienne. He gave us a great overview of the excursion and advised that the weather was due to get warmer and the sun would be shining! We then whisked ourselves down to dinner for yet another superb meal on-board. Complete compliments to the chef and the team, I really don’t know how AMA Waterways manage to pull off the 5 star service and serve such incredible cuisine time and time again.
Fun and games in the lounge tonight. John hosted a music quiz. I do enjoy a quiz, it tends to bring out the competitive side of me! We gathered in teams of six and had a wonderful fun evening guessing music composers, films and songs. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t win – I came close and missed it by a point! The winning team were awarded champagne. At 22:30, for anyone who could squeeze in anymore food before bed the late night snacks were available – a wide selection of cold meats and delicacies. I had no room left at all so made my way back to the cabin ready for another peaceful night’s sleep on-board my AMA Waterways vessel.
