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 The variety and quality of various WSU Cougar wineries and spectacular food prepared by our celebrity chef and the award winning Windstar staff, in addition to the unique environment of a private charter aboard the Windstar, Windsurf, is what makes a WSU Cougars cruise a once in a lifetime event not to miss.
Of course your taste buds will be overwhelmed with Windstar’s famous food and hospitality. From simple hedonistic pleasures such as roast whole pig and fresh seafood to gourmet five course dinners. But that is just the beginning.
FineFoodandWineCruise.com and WSU Cougars are recruiting a celebrity chef to create the perfect dinners to be paired with all of the wines from our guest wineries. We will be featuring your favorites as well as some special reserves and hidden treasures from deep in the cellar.
WSU Cougars lovers will recognize many and be enticed with unknown discoveries as well. The perfect meals, paired with the perfect wines. Our chef will be creating around the world journeys for your taste buds to complement the truly special vacation on which you have taken them.
Our featured wines will be available throughout the day and night on the cruise.
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 Few chefs enjoy access to a greater bounty of world-class wines and fresh foods than Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Culinary Director, John Sarich. “The Pacific Northwest is a chef’s paradise,” says John. “Not only do we have an outstanding variety of ingredients from the land and sea, we also have exceptional wines from Washington’s Columbia Valley, where long summer days and crisp autumn nights produce ideal conditions for well balanced wines.”
John’s innovative approach to pairing food and wine has delighted discriminating palates across the country. At Chateau Ste. Michelle, John conducts cooking classes, wine and food tastings, wine dinners, and special events, all designed to further the enjoyment and understanding of wine and food. He also presents training seminars and classes for wine and food professionals and aficionados around the world. Culinary tours have led John from Disney World in Orlando, to the Culinary Institute of America in New York, to hotels in Singapore, China, Bangkok, and Hawaii, to name a few.
John joined Chateau Ste. Michelle as a winery guide in 1976, the summer the winery first opened its doors. His incredible knowledge and enthusiasm for wine and food quickly became apparent, and before long he was teaching cooking classes in the Chateau’s historic Manor House. Soon after, he moved into Sales as a wine and food consultant for chefs along the Pacific Coast.
In 1980, John took a hiatus from the winery and founded Seattle’s highly acclaimed Adriatica Restaurant. He later opened Dalmacija Ristoran in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. While at Adriatica, John was selected by Esquire magazine as one of the country’s “Hot new Chefs,” and listed by The Seattle Times as one of the city’s “Top Five Chefs.”
After returning to Chateau Ste. Michelle as Culinary Director in 1990, John hosted the Emmy-nominated cooking show Taste of the Northwest for four years. He then hosted the nationally and internationally syndicated TV show Best of Taste: Travels With John Sarich, with episodes shot on location in Europe, Asia and across the United States.
In 2010, John released his fifth cookbook, Chef in the Vineyard. His previously published cookbooks, John Sarich’s Food and Wine of the Pacific Northwest, John Sarich at Chateau Ste. Michelle, Best of Taste Flavors of the Pacific Northwest, and Entertaining Simply continue to inspire cooks around the world.
For John, educating others about the joy of wine and food is not simply a job, it’s his driving passion. His extensive culinary program and infectious enthusiasm for matching wine and food are establishing Chateau Ste. Michelle as a dominant focus in the Northwest.
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 Bob Bertheau joined Chateau Ste. Michelle in June 2003 as its winemaker of white wines after 16 years of winemaking in Sonoma County, California. He was promoted to Chateau Ste. Michelle head winemaker, overseeing both red and white programs in August 2004.
“My goal is to use winemaking to bring out the natural varietal character and the regional expression in the wines.”
“I am amazed at the difference in grape growing in Eastern Washington,” says Bob. “We have such unique growing conditions here: low rainfall, extra sunshine during the growing season, cooler days at the end of harvest for longer hang time, and a pioneer spirit of the local growers and winemakers. These conditions help us grow world-class fruit and make wines of character, complexity and quality.”
Bob has maintained Chateau Ste. Michelle’s legacy of crafting awarding-winning Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, while putting his own signature on the wines. “I have learned from Ernst Loosen, our German winemaking partner on Eroica Riesling, how to protect fruit purity and produce fresh, fruit-driven Rieslings.
“For Chardonnay,” Bob adds, “I’m using more Burgundian yeasts and have changed our lees stirring and oak regimes for better integration of oak flavors and more harmonious, soft Chardonnays. Washington’s red varieties have great structure and intense fruit. My goal with the reds is to harness the tannins for more accessible red wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle.”
Prior to joining Chateau Ste. Michelle, Bob made his mark at Hambrecht Vineyards and Wineries with their Belvedere and Bradford Mountain labels. In his formative years out of UC Davis, he gained valuable mentoring from such renowned winemakers as Bob Sessions at Hanzell Vineyards and David Ramey at Chalk Hill. Wanting to gain an even broader experience with a wide variety of grapes and viticulture areas, Bob also worked at Gallo of Sonoma for five years, helping to bring a smaller winery mentality to the larger facility.
For Bob, the move to Chateau Ste. Michelle in 2003 was not only the chance to make wine for one of Washington’s most acclaimed wineries, it was a chance to come home. He was born in Seattle, went to school in nearby Idaho, and has most of his family living in the Seattle area. Bob has a degree in chemistry from Boise State University and an MS in food science and enology from University of California at Davis.
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The Restaurant
The Restaurant provides an unpretentious, elegant atmosphere in which to enjoy phenomenal food, excellent wines, and impeccable service. Open seating and plenty of tables for two provide maximum flexibility and assure the happiness of all guests. Los Angeles’ Joachim Splichal developed most of the sensational and inventive menus, though light and vegetarian options were the brainchild of cooking light guru Jeanne Jones.
Degrees
Bright and airy, located just above the bow, Degrees is an intimate and exclusive alternative to the Restaurant and Veranda. Reservations are required for each of the themed nights—which range from steakhouse to French Bistro. |
The Veranda
Floor-to-ceiling windows, indoor and outdoor seating, and an intimate atmosphere make the Veranda’s sumptuous breakfast and lunch buffets (with some made-to-order items) and full service dinners a special treat. Highly-touted are the breakfast smoothies and the once-per-cruise barbeque.
Compass Rose Bar
A continental breakfast and afternoon tea are served in this relaxed and comfortable room.
24 Hour In Cabin Dining
A select room service menu is available around the clock. During normal dining hours, meals can also be ordered off of the restaurant menus and enjoyed in the privacy of your stateroom. |
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Wines
 Chateau Ste. Michelle
Tradition, innovation, and the highest winemaking standards form the essence of Chateau Ste. Michelle.
Washington state’s oldest and most acclaimed winery features award-winning wines and an unparalleled tasting experience at our historic chateau and grounds near Seattle.
Built on the 1912 estate owned by Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson, the winery’s roots date back to the Repeal of Prohibition, when the Pommerelle Wine Company and the National Wine Company were formed. They merged in 1954 to form American Wine Growers. In 1967, American Wine Growers began a new line of premium vinifera wines called “Ste. Michelle Vintners” under the direction of legendary California winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff.
Ste. Michelle Vintners planted its first vines at Cold Creek Vineyard in Eastern Washington in 1972. Cold Creek remains one of the oldest and most renowned vineyards in the state. We now own more than 3,500 prime vineyard acres in the Columbia Valley.
The winery combines Old World winemaking tradition with New World innovation.
In 1976, Ste. Michelle Vintners built a French style Chateau in Woodinville, and changed its name to Chateau Ste. Michelle.
As the winery grew, so did recognition for the increasingly top quality wines being produced in Washington state. In 1984, Chateau Ste. Michelle led the way in obtaining federal recognition of the Columbia Valley in eastern Washington as a unique wine growing region or American Viticulture Area (AVA). Today, Chateau Ste. Michelle receives some of the highest accolades in the industry, including “Wine Brand of the Year 2008,“ by Market Watch Magazine, “American Winery of the Year 2004” from Wine Enthusiast and “2005 Winery of the Year” by Restaurant Wine.
The winery combines Old World winemaking tradition with New World innovation and is best known for its award-winning Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Our portfolio includes Columbia Valley wines styled to bring out the regions’ varietal character; Indian Wells wines celebrating the New World opulent style; Single Vineyard wines that epitomize the terroir of our estate vineyards; Ethos wines, our pinnacle tier that melds Old World complexity and elegance with concentrated Washington fruit; and the Artist Series, a Meritage blend crafted for power and longevity.
Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the few premium wineries in the world with two state-of-the-art wineries, one devoted to whites and another to reds. This dedicated approach to winemaking allows winemaker, Bob Bertheau, to build programs to the unique specifications of red and white wines. While all of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s vineyards are located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains where the climate is dry and sunny, Bertheau makes the award winning white wines in Woodinville, near Seattle. The red wines are made at our Canoe Ridge Estate winery in Eastern Washington.
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Chateau Ste. Michelle 2007
 Cold Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley
93 points - “Cellar Selection”
Wine Enthusiast - May 1, 2011
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2007
Ethos Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley
91 points
Wine Enthusiast - May 1, 2011
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2008
Canoe Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Horse Heaven Hills
91 points - “Cellar Selection”
Wine Enthusiast - May 1, 2011 |
Chateau Ste. Michelle
 “#10 - The Restaurant Top 50”
Wine & Spirits - April 1, 2011
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2007
Artist Series Meritage Columbia Valley
“Top 100 Best Washington Wines. # 39, 91 pts. ”
Seattle Met - September 1, 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2005
Artist Series Meritage Columbia Valley
92 points
Wine Advocate - July 1, 2008 |
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 Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards
Family owned and operated winery since 1985, producing consistent premium-quality wines that are exclusively the product of our estate grown grapes.
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2006 Syrah
91 points
Wine Enthusiast
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Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards is located in the heart of the Columbia Valley in Washington State. We take great pride in being the oldest estate winery in Washington State by using only estate-grown grapes in making our superb, hand-crafted Washington wines.
In 1980, Jeff Gordon, along with his wife, Vicki and brother Bill decided to plant wine grapes on a sagebrush-covered slope overlooking the Snake River in southeastern Washington’s Columbia Valley. In 1985, he released his first small lot of Chardonnay wine produced from their estate vines and today the Gordon Brothers brand is growing in both production and acclaim.
In 1985, he released his first small lot of Chardonnay wine produced from their estate vines, and today the Gordon Brothers brand is growing in both production and acclaim.
Before planting the vineyard, Jeff sought out the expertise of Walt Clore, the “Father of Washington Wine.” Together the two inspected a 200-acre parcel of sagebrush-covered land near the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. Walt strongly approved of the land that would soon become Gordon Brothers.
At the time the vineyard was planted, there were 19 wineries in Washington and less than 5,000 acres of winegrapes in production. Jeff and Vicki quickly fell in love with the camaraderie of the small, but remarkably supportive winemaking community. Now, the Washington wine industry has grown to over 300 wineries and 30,000+ acres of winegrapes, but the Washington industry still maintains its solidarity.
Along the way, there have been a few changes. In 1998 Jeff’s brother Bill retired. That same year a new wine production facility was built on the vineyard that greatly centralized all aspects of the winemaking process. In 2001, Jeff’s daughter and son-in-law, Katie and Marc Nelson, joined the family business. Marc manages the vineyard along with the organic cherries, potatoes, melons, corn and alfalfa. Katie is the Director of Marketing for the winery. |
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