Gorge provides a beautiful backdrop for UnCruise Adventures

I boarded the S.S. Legacy with 50 other passengers near the Glass House of the World Trade Center in downtown Portland. We were met by the on-board heritage guides dressed in period costume. This enthusiastic team accompanied us throughout the week peppering world-class wine tastings with anecdotes about Lewis and Clark, the role the Columbia River played in World War II and how the Ice Age Missoula floods are largely responsible for the beautiful aromas and flavors of the local wines.

Every cabin has a view of the river and is appointed with period touches and comfortable beds. Life on board for me began with coffee in the lounge each morning, followed by yoga on the bow of the ship led by one of the two wellness team members certified in yoga and massage. There is nothing quite like waking each morning to guided, gentle stretching and a 360 degree view of a national scenic area that people from around the world travel thousands of miles to see.

Just when you think it cannot be improved upon, it’s time for breakfast. Seated on your own or with a table of equally-excited tourists, every passenger is served a made-to-order breakfast by a staff that sources in-season ingredients from up and down the Gorge. As one would imagine, most guests are well-traveled. I met a man from New Hampshire who used to own an upscale safari lodge in Zambia, a couple in their 40s who have been on approximately 50 cruises in the last 20 years and another couple who have scuba dived at some of the best dive sites in the world.

Passengers hailed from places similar to the 30 crew members including Virginia, Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio and Southern California.

Every day was a balance of on-board time, attraction visits and winery stops. In total, 10 wineries were visited; all tastings, catered lunches and luxury coach transportation are included in the price of the cruise as well as premium spirits, wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages while on the ship.

UnCruise Adventures staffs each Rivers of Wine cruise with a certified sommelier and invite a different wine professional to bring his or her knowledge to the glass, as well.

I was fortunate to enjoy the down-to-earth perspective of Christine Havens, who is a sought-after wine and culinary writer as well as former vintner. Her personality paired well with Erica VanAusdal, whose favorite thing about being an on-board somm is uncovering the wine knowledge of each passenger to be able to deliver the most personalized service possible.

“To the person who doesn’t know anything about wine, I would say, ‘Perfect. By the end of the week, you should have some kind of dialogue to know what you like,’ and it’s fun,” Van Ausdal said.

At the nightly tastings held in the lounge before our scrumptious multi-course dinners, we learned that our fellow passengers ranged from casual wine imbibers to a couple with an 8,800-bottle cellar and everything in between. Our commonality was our love for wine and unsurpassed scenery.

One couple summed it up best.

“I love the small group. I think that’s my favorite thing and the itinerary. I knew where we were going but I didn’t expect the terrain.” Jennifer Barr of Virginia said.

Her traveling companion, Alan Vanzandt, added, “And the personal attention and the vast amount of wine.”