What do you get when you combine wine, Kathie Lee Gifford and Carnival Cruise Line? If you answered “Boozeday Tuesday” and/or “Winesday Wednesday” on the high seas, you are not far off! This past Sunday, January 11, 2015, I was invited to attend Carnival’s announcement of the recent partnership between Kathie Lee’s GIFFT wines and Carnival Cruise line. As you may already know, Kathie Lee knows her vino all too well, as the co-host of the 4th hour of NBC’s Today show, alongside Hoda Kotb. Kathie Lee and Hoda drink wine, on air, every day at 10 a.m.!
(Image courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line)
The GIFFT collection is a partnership between Kathie Lee and Scheid Family Vineyard, the collection consists of a Red Blend and a Chardonnay. In September 2014, Wine Enthusiast magazine gave the red 91 of a possible 100 points and the Chardonnay 88 points in its tasting rating. Kathie Lee didn’t want GIFFT wines to be a “celebrity-endorse wine”, she wanted the wine to be part of her, she told us: “the wine had to represent me, our family.” Her wine is a bi-coastal effort, the wine is manufactured in Monterey County, California and on the front of the wine bottle a picture of Kathie Lee’s Greenwich Connecticut home. Now, what about Kathie Lee and Carnival Cruise Line partnership? Their partnership expands from the 1980s and now her wine will be carried on Carnival’s 24 ships across the fleet. If you are wondering the price point of the wine? Carnival Cruise Line is currently offering GIFFT wines by the glass or by the bottle and the bottle price point is under $20, that’s right, $19.99 to be exact. Carnival is the only cruise line to feature Gifford’s GIFFT’s wines. So, which variety will you try on your next cruise? For more information visit the Carnival Cruise Line website here.
Disclosure: I was invited to a media event, no monetary compensation was received.