Edie Rodriguez, Americas Brand Chairman of PONANT, will host an exceptional gastronomy and wine cruise in partnership with Ducasse Conseil and Chateau Latour aboard L’Austral from April 13 to 22, 2019. The 10-day cruise of Northern Europe, Gastronomy, Vineyards and Grands Crus, will feature Alain Ducasse’s culinary teams during prestigious gala dinners while the ship sails from Lisbon to Portsmouth.
In addition to a stunning itinerary that covers exciting European wine capitals, Gastronomy Vineyards and Grands Crus features the onboard presence of Jean-Robert Pitte, geographer and wine historian, of noted sommelier Eric Beaumard and of cheese maker and affineur Bernard Antony. Two gala dinners will be prepared by chefs Xavier Boireau from Rech, a seafood restaurant that is a veritable institution in Paris, and Francis Fauvel, from Ducasse sur Seine. Tastings of Grands Crus, lectures and activities focused on wine will unfold on board ship.
“We are pleased to partner with Alain Ducasse, Chateau Latour and our wine and culinary experts on this exciting itinerary,” noted Edie Rodriguez, in press material. “Sharing extraordinary experiences with our passengers is our mission on all of our cruises and expeditions from pole to pole.”
The PONANT cruise departs from the port of Leixoes in Lisbon where guests can visit Belem Town and Jeronimos Monastery, both UNESCO sites. L’Austral will sail from there to Porto, the “city of granite,” whose historic center is also listed with UNESCO and is renowned for its wine. The ship then continues to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where guests will discover the Basque Country on wonderful shore excursions that cover the French and Spanish sides of the region.
L’Austral will then make its way up the Gironde estuary for a stop in Pauillac, for several wine tastings at wine estates in the Saint-Estephe, Margaux and Pauillac appellations. In the evening, the moored ship will have Chateau Latour as a magnificent backdrop for a gala dinner of food and wine pairings held on board ship.
Two days in Bordeaux will follow, including an overnight stay in this wine capital of the world, with a visit to the medieval village of Saint-Emilion and other chateaux. The last stops will be Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Belle-Ile-en-Mer and Guernsey before arriving in Portsmouth in the southeast of England, where the gastronomic cruise will draw to an end. Guests have the option of disembarking in Honfleur before the final port.
Fares start at $5,000 pp, which represents a 25 percent bonus reduction on the full fare. For more information, visit us.ponant.com. To learn about PONANT’s fleet expansion, click here.
