Quality, versatility and on-trend were keywords when Viking Line’s newest ship wines were selected. Starting in February, seven new wines will be available in the restaurants, buffets and tax-free shops on board the company’s vessels. Wine has become the biggest-selling category of goods in the tax-free shops.

Viking Line has selected its new ship wines for the next two years. The list includes a dry, fresh German Riesling, a full-bodied red wine from Portugal, a quality champagne and a sparkling wine from Catalonia.

“Our new ship wines are on-trend both in terms of quality and style. When we select wines with the help of a wine team, consisting of restaurant and tax-free staff from all our vessels, we give particular attention to the quality of the wines and how they work with different dishes, plus we also take into account our customers’ wishes. This year we tasted hundreds of different wines before we found the best ones for our needs,” says Restaurant Category Manager Ossi Ruusunen at Viking Line.

Viking Line’s new Portuguese red, Defesa do Esporão Tinto, is an excellent pairing for meat dishes and grilled vegetables, for example. The fresh German Riesling Neiss Riesling Trocken is perfect with fish and seafood dishes.

The ship champagne was again chosen in collaboration with Master of Wine Essi Avellan. Both the champagne Laurent-Perrier Brut L-P and the Catalonian sparkling wine I Heart Cava work well as an aperitif or with food.

“Sparkling wines are excellent wines with meals, since the acid in them makes them suitable for a really wide range of different flavours. Happily, our customers nowadays often choose wine by the glass since they want to taste new wines and try different flavour combinations,” says Ossi Ruusunen.

Biggest-selling category in the tax-free shops

Wine has overtaken cosmetics, high-proof alcohol and sweets to become the best-selling category of goods in Viking Line’s tax-free shops.

“Our passengers are well aware of the high quality of our assortment and the moderate prices on board. With us, wines are always 25 per cent cheaper than on land, and sometimes almost half the price. Our theme weeks, including our Riesling weeks which start in February, also usually attract passengers,” says Head of Retail Operations Mats Kotka at Viking Line.

Viking Line’s wine assortment is continuously being expanded in response to customer requests. Viking Line invests regularly in improving the wine knowledge of staff in its restaurants and tax-free shops.

Viking Line’s new ship wines 2023–2024

White wine:

Neiss Riesling Trocken, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. This dry, fruity aromatic wine made from Riesling grapes comes from Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany’s second largest wine district. Goes especially well with fish and seafood dishes.

Red wine:

Defesa do Esporão Tinto, Alentejo, Portugal. An elegant, rich, intense red wine from Alentejo in southern Portugal. An excellent choice for meat dishes and grilled vegetables.

Champagne:

Laurent-Perrier Brut L-P, Champagne, France. A fruity champagne with lovely toasty notes from renowned champagne house Laurent-Perrier. An excellent choice as an aperitif or with food.

Sparkling:

I Heart Cava, Catalonia, Spain. A light, fruity sparkling wine with crisp citrus tones. An excellent choice as an aperitif or with food.

Buffet wines (red, white and rosé):

MIA, Freixenet. A modern, youthful, fresh series of wines from Spain. Produced from native grape varieties. The wines go particularly well with our buffet dishes