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Who curates this

Sommelier-curated, every stop

Cruising with Wine is written and reviewed by Michele Edington, a Certified Sommelier, wine writer, and very opinionated person about what belongs in your glass when you only have a few hours ashore.

A note from Michele

Every stop guide is built to answer the questions I’d want answered before getting off the ship: what grows here, what should I drink, what food actually belongs with it, what words should I recognize on a label, what bottle is worth tucking into a suitcase then lugging through TSA, and whether a winery visit makes sense with the ship’s clock quietly breathing down your neck.

These are regional drinking guides for real cruise days, slightly chaotic, and much better when you already know what to look for.

The qualifications

Credentials

  • Certified Sommelier
  • Certified Specialist of Wine
  • Certified Sake Advisor
  • Executive Bourbon Steward
  • WSET Diploma candidate
  • Former beverage director
  • Food and wine editor
  • Author, Pairing Paws book series

How these guides are made

Our approach

River cruises move quickly. One morning you’re in a medieval beer town, the next you’re staring at steep Riesling vineyards, and by dinner someone is pouring you a wine you’ve never heard of while your ship is already drifting toward the next country.

These guides are made for that exact purpose.

I look at each stop through the lens of a working sommelier — the grapes, the local styles, the food, the cheese, the label words, the souvenir bottles, and the very practical question of what you can actually do before the ship leaves. Some stops are perfect for a vineyard visit, while others are better for a wine bar, a bottle shop, a local tavern, or a glass of something that captures the essence of the place.

The grapes

What actually grows here and the styles worth seeking out.

What to eat & drink

The local pour, the dish that belongs with it, the cheese.

What to bring home

The bottle worth the suitcase — and the TSA line.

Timing that works

What's realistic before the ship quietly slips away.

Offline access

The full guide in your pocket when the signal disappears.

Winery visits, when realistic

And a wine bar, tavern, or bottle shop when they're not.

The free guides give you the regional snapshot, while the full app goes deeper into must-try bottles, pairings, nearby wineries, shore-excursion timing, bring-home ideas, and offline access for the moments when the river is gorgeous and your phone signal has chosen personal growth.

Open the app →See pricing

Cheers, Michele

Published by Sommelier Stories Press LLC