SantoWines Santorini Greece

The Greek Isles

Day Six - we finally arrive at our first port of call in Greece. It is a beautiful day as our ship anchors off the coast of Santorini, Greece.

A catastrophic volcanic eruption that ravaged Santorini circa 1600 B.C. created a caldera - and one of the most dramatic land and seascapes in the entire Mediterranean. On Santorini, whitewashed buildings cling to vertiginous cliffs that plunge to a turquoise sea.

 Taste the Fruit of the Vine

This region is famous for world-class wines and unique vinification methods. Here you can visit some of the world's oldest vineyards and learn how the micro-climate and rich volcanic soil produces such a full-bodied bouquet.

We selected Princess Cruises tour, Oia, Fira & Winery, for our day in Santorini, Greece.   We met in the theater where we were then escorted to the waiting tender boat to take us ashore.   Once on land, we boarded a motorcoach for a ride through the villages enroute to SantoWines Winery, our first stop.   SantoWines Oenotourism center is situated on the top of the caldera cliff, with a magnificent view of Santorini volcano and the Aegean Sea.

SANTORINI VINSANTO NATURALLY SWEET WINE FROM SUN DRIED GRAPES 

Despite the early hour, the winery was hosting tastings of several of their products.   As with most tastings, there was a selection of  white, red, and their dessert wines.  Since we prefer sweet wines, we decided to skip the dry white and red and just sample the Vinsanto dessert wine.

Vinsanto wine consists of 75% Assyrtiko and 25% Aidani grapes. The grapes are sun dried for 8 –10 days, slow fermented for 2 – 3 months, and aged for at least 24 months in oak barrels.  Suggested Use:  Enjoy it as a dessert wine or accompany it with fresh fruit and light dessert.  This wine can only be purchased at the winery, so if you like it, take a bottle home with you.  Unfortunately, you'll have to pack it in your checked luggage, so keep that in mind.   Because of that reason, we decided not to purchase a bottle - hopefully we won't regret that later.

After enjoying our glass of wine, we had time to take in the scenic views of the volcano and Aegean Sea before reboarding our bus for the ride to Oia, our next stop.   See our photo album on Facebook: Santo Winery - Santorini

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




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Celebrity Solstice - Belly up to the Bar

I hope you are enjoying the highlights of the Celebrity Solstice. As is customary when you embark on a Celebrity vessel, you'll be greeted by the staff that is there to serve you a glass of champagne and escort you to your cabin. If you haven’t figured it out by now, this should tell you that you are about to embark on a very special experience onboard the ship.

Arriving early like we did, the attendant checked our carry-on bags, showed us where our cabin was, and directed us to the Oceanview Café and Bar for some lunch. I’ve already written about the café so check the blog archive if you’ve not already read that post. This is your second opportunity to get the beverage of your choice onboard the Solstice. The friendly bar waiters are there to offer the drink of the day or whatever beverage you might chose. Of course, this is also your first opportunity to spend money onboard Solstice since beverages (other than coffee, tea, ice tea, fruit punch, lemonade, and tap water) are not included.

Following lunch, it is time to explore the rest of the ship. For this article, I’ll focus on the various bars starting from the top deck of the Solstice working my way down.

Sunset Bar is located at Celebrity’s Solstice’s highest point aft on the Lawn Club Deck. There are breathtaking views of the length of the ship and the entire surroundings. Here you’ll enjoy a relaxed country club atmosphere.

Oceanview Bar on the Lido Deck provides any number of beverages to be enjoyed in a beautiful outdoor venue. Mast Bar is also on the Lido Deck near the jogging track.

Sky Observation Lounge on the Lido Deck offers floor to ceiling windows with breathtaking views looking forward. You can relax in the comfy seating all around.

Pool Bar on the Resort Deck might be one of your first stops on your Celebrity Solstice tour since the sail away party will be occurring on this deck.

The following are all on the Entertainment Deck which is one of the hubs of nightlife activity onboard Celebrity Solstice.

Ensemble Lounge is a great place for some instrumental or vocal sounds along with your favorite nightcap with friends and family.

Galleria Tastings is unique to Celebrity Solstice. Here you’ll be able to enjoy "tastes" of food, drink, fashion and art. Be sure to check out this unique entertainment venue.

Michael's Club is a Celebrity signature staple where you can enjoy a good cigar, jazz music, and your favorite drink.

The following are all on the Promenade Deck which is another hot nightspot onboard the Solstice.

Cellar Masters which is inspired by the vineyards of Napa Valley, brings to life the experience of a global wine tour while you learn about and taste a large variety of wines from around the world. This is a great venue to discover new wines, receive recommendations and enrich your knowledge of the world of wine.

Martini Bar and Crush continues the successful ice bar concept first introduced on Celebrity Century when it was remodeled. Stop by before dinner to have your favorite martini (mine is chocolate) or if you can’t decide, have a flight of martinis where you can sample several of the popular drinks.

Quasar is a nightclub located on this deck. I'll cover this in more detail in another post.

Passport Bar is just off the Grand Foyer on Plaza Deck and is the perfect location to have a cocktail before going to the Solstice Theatre.

There are many venues onboard Celebrity Solstice to enjoy at night or during the day. Consult Celebrity TODAY paper for details about drink specials and entertainment during your cruise.