Glass House On Ventura

I was invited by P&O to join them for their 2 night sailing to Bruges last weekend with some of my colleagues from Cruise.co.uk to see the changes on board Ventura since her refurbishment.

Since the refurbishment of Ventura she now features Olly Smith’s Glass House an amazing wine bar,

He has handed picked some amazing wines from around the world and put together a fantastic menu for you to sample all at very reasonable prices.

It is a very relaxed place to sit and have something to eat whilst sampling some amazing tastes.

On the full menu it tells you in full the style of the wine, the grapes and origin also some suggested food matches and a bit of background information, the choice is just fantastic and an amazing experience.

The glass house wine flights are a perfect opportunity to try something new each flight consists of three 125ml glasses of wine, especially selected by olly.

See some of the menu below

Flight 1: Exotic Whites £9.95
A flight of three widely differing exotically flavoured wines sourced
to titillate and expand your palate.
Peller, Niagara Ice Cuvée NV, Canada
Ever tasted a wine from Canada before? Peller Icewine Cuvée
is blended from the juice of naturally frozen grapes that have
been picked in the middle of a cold Canadian winter. A blend
of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir it’s honey coated fizz with subtle
richness and a surprisingly dry finish.
Château Saint Ferréol Viognier 2007, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France
Viognier kicked off its career in the Rhône Valley in France and has
made great strides. Peachy, floral touches, exotic notes of sweet
tropical fruit. Sip it and behold the life and tang, it’s like electric
apricots with real verve and a trace of vanilla creaminess.
Beblenheim Gewurztraminer Dom Trapet 2005, Alsace, France
Flamboyant, fun and unmistakable! This wine smells of orangy
marmalade with lemon Turkish delight, elderflower and lychee floating
around like an air display of tropical fruits. When you taste it, it’s off-dry
with luscious fruit and some proper zing to balance.
Flight 2: French Classics £12.95
Learn about these French classic regions in this fun whiz
through the highlights.
Dezat Sancerre 2008, Loire, France
The word ‘Sancerre’ immediately conveys class and prestige, a bit like
the badge on the bonnet of a Mercedes. If you’re a fan of the bright
zest of a glass of grapefruit juice, this is the wine for you.
Bourgogne Blanc Les Sétilles, Olivier Leflaive 2008
Burgundy, France
This is high class French wine made from the Chardonnay grape.
When you sip it, it’s got plenty of zingy bright flavour and some subtle
creaminess thanks to a dip in some quality oak barrels.
Château Latour à Pomerol 2004, France
Layered aromas of classic dark fruit with a whiff of meaty
complexity and some almond-type niffs thanks to the oak barrel
ageing. It’s a classic Bordeaux wine for those who favour more
savoury wines rather than fruity (think subtle truffly complexity).
Flight 3: Matching Food and Wine £13.95
The big match! Bespoke nibbles with boutique booze. Cheers!
Buffalo Mozzarellawith P&O Cruises Private Label Prosecco
‘Colli Trevigiani Brut Sylvoz Le Colture NV’
Summer-tastic! This Italian fizz smells of pears with floral touches
and gives that glorious feeling of relaxing on holiday. When you
sip it, the freshness continues with a bright zip to the palate and
plenty of frothy fun.
Tempura of Tiger Prawns in sweet chilli with The FMC Chenin
Blanc 2008 South Africa
The FMC is rich, off-dry, fruity with toasty edges and is an icon for
South African wine.
Chorizo sausage, pork belly and butter bean cassoulet with
Lar de Paula Rioja Joven 2008, Spain
Young, juicy and delicious, made from the Tempranillo grape
which means ‘ripens early’. Scented with black cherry aromas it’s
got a riper fruit character on the glug and is great for a simple sip.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Zoe and Duncan from P&O for been the perfect hosts and giving us the opportunity to see the amazing changes on board Ventura.