Explora Journeys Wine and Food Pairing Menu
Explora Journeys offers a Premium Wine and Food Pairing Menu that combines a series of wines with small dishes designed to accompany each selection. For travelers researching the dining experience before their cruise, this menu provides a useful look at one of the more specialized food and wine experiences available onboard.
The menu shown here features five wine and food pairings, moving from seafood selections such as crab cake and tuna tartare through lobster and duck before finishing with beef tartare paired with Barolo.
What Is on the Premium Wine and Food Pairing Menu?
The menu consists of five individual pairings, with each wine accompanied by a specific small dish.
The selections shown are:
Olivier Bonville, Odysee 319
Crab Cake, Aji Amarillo
Château d’Esclans, Garrus, Rosé
Tuna Tartar, Wasabi Mayo
Utopia, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva
Lobster Mini Brioche
Descendientes de J. Palacios, “Villa de Corullón”
Crostini-Orange Duck on Baguette
Damilano Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba
Beef Tartare, Blinis Aged Pecorino
Together, the five courses provide a progression through several different styles of wine and food rather than functioning as a conventional multi-course dinner menu.
INSERT PHOTO 2 – Full Premium Wine and Food Pairing Menu
Seafood Pairings
The first three selections on the menu focus on seafood.
The experience begins with Olivier Bonville Odysee 319 accompanied by a crab cake with aji amarillo. The second pairing combines Château d’Esclans Garrus Rosé with tuna tartare and wasabi mayo.
The third seafood selection pairs Utopia Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva with a lobster mini brioche.
These dishes are relatively compact, which fits the format of a tasting and pairing menu rather than a traditional entrée-based meal.
Duck and Red Wine
The fourth course moves away from seafood with crostini-orange duck served on baguette.
It is paired with Descendientes de J. Palacios “Villa de Corullón.” This marks a noticeable transition in the menu toward richer meat-based dishes and red wine.
Barolo and Beef Tartare
The final listed pairing features Damilano Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba.
The accompanying dish is beef tartare with blinis and aged Pecorino. It is the last of the five food and wine combinations shown on the menu.
Food Allergies and Dietary Requirements
The menu specifically instructs guests with food allergies, allergen questions, or other dietary requirements to inform the onboard Hosts before ordering.
This is particularly relevant for this pairing experience because several of the dishes contain or may involve seafood, shellfish, dairy, gluten, raw seafood, or raw meat. Guests with dietary restrictions should therefore discuss the individual courses with the Hosts rather than relying solely on the printed menu.
Is a Price Listed on the Menu?
No price appears on the Premium Wine and Food Pairing Menu shown here.
Because pricing and availability can change, guests interested in the experience should check the current onboard information during their sailing rather than relying on a price from a different cruise.
What to Know Before Your Explora Journeys Cruise
For travelers who enjoy researching cruise dining before sailing, menus like this provide a much better idea of what to expect than a general restaurant description.
This particular menu is clearly centered on the relationship between the wine and its accompanying food rather than offering a large selection of dishes from which guests construct their own meal.
As with other cruise dining menus and onboard schedules, individual selections may change. The menu shown here should therefore be treated as an example of the Premium Wine and Food Pairing Menu rather than a guarantee that every future sailing will offer exactly the same wines and dishes.
FAQ
How many pairings are on the Explora Journeys Premium Wine and Food Pairing Menu?
The menu shown includes five wine and food pairings.
What foods are included?
The dishes shown are crab cake with aji amarillo, tuna tartare with wasabi mayo, lobster mini brioche, crostini-orange duck on baguette, and beef tartare with blinis and aged Pecorino.
Does the menu include Champagne or sparkling wine?
The first pairing lists Olivier Bonville Odysee 319.
Are there red wines on the pairing menu?
Yes. The later pairings include Descendientes de J. Palacios “Villa de Corullón” and Damilano Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba.
Is the price shown?
No. The photographed menu does not list a price for the Premium Wine and Food Pairing Menu.
Can Explora Journeys accommodate food allergies?
The menu asks guests with food allergies, allergen questions, or dietary requirements to inform the Hosts before ordering.
Are the wines and dishes guaranteed to remain the same?
The photographed menu documents the selections offered when it was obtained. Cruise menus can change, so future sailings may feature different wines, dishes, or pairings.
Conclusion
The Explora Journeys Premium Wine and Food Pairing Menu offers a focused tasting experience built around five wine and food combinations. The progression begins with crab, tuna, and lobster before moving into duck and finishing with beef tartare and Barolo.
For anyone planning an Explora Journeys cruise and researching onboard dining, specialty menus, and food experiences in advance, this menu provides a useful example of the type of curated wine pairing experience guests may encounter onboard.
