I have sailed away this week on AmaWaterways, AmaDante ship along the Seine from Le Havre/Normandy Beaches to Paris. Onboard is President/CEO Mike Lewellen of Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, Santa Barbara, California. Mike’s comparison of these Lucas & Lewellen New-World wines along with those Old-World wines from France, including those from Burgundy and Bordeaux, is a palate-teasing, terroir-driven experience. I have an appreciation for what each brings as a “sense of place” from their origins. Featured for the wine cruise were four distinct events: New world vs. old world tasting, varietal tasting along with a wine trivia quiz, chef’s wine pairing dinner, and a Champagne tasting and lecture. The ship is filled with wine enthusiasts. If you missed last week’s Paris adventure see: “LIVE from Paris April 2025: Notre Dame and La Louvre Rediscovered,” April 8, 2025 Wine Wanderings. Cheers!

Celebrating 22 years on the river, family-owned and operated AmaWaterways has received numerous awards recognizing its excellence in river cruising. They are a member of the prestigious La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and Tables and Auberges de France. AmaWaterways is recognized as a top river cruise line for dining. In 2024 Food and Wine Magazine recognized AmaWaterways on their Top Ten Cruises for Food & Drink. AmaWaterways offers more than 80 annual Wine Cruises through Europe’s most iconic winemaking regions. These specialized wine cruises add another dimension to the luxury cuisine.

“AmaWaterways Wine Cruises offer the unique opportunity to sample European wines in the region you are cruising through, as well as those brought on board from a North American winery. On these sailings, you will have the unique opportunity to compare and contrast a selection of New World wines (selected by your Wine Host) with those of the Old World while discovering the history and modern-day wine culture of the region.” – Robert Schmidt, Director, Business Development, Wine Cruises, AmaWaterways

Established in 1996 the vineyards of Lucas & Lewellen are located on 400 acres in the three wine growing valleys of Santa Barbara County: Santa Ynez Valley, Los Alamos Valley, and the Santa Maria Valley. This family owned and operated winery practices old world and sustainable farming methods and crafts award-winning wines representing the principal variety of the Rhône, Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France, as well as a few Italian varieties. Their two tasting rooms in Solvang, CA are open seven days a week.

“This is my fifth cruise on AmaWaterways and they are a lot of fun. We’re doing a couple of tastings onboard during this week and a wine and food pairing dinner with different wines for each course…..We offer new world and old-world wine comparisons with the tasting, and also talk about the French wine regions…our estate wines vs. Burgundy and Bordeaux wines. We’ve ended up the week with a fun wine trivia quiz. I highly recommend river cruising for anyone who likes to travel.” – Mike Lewellen, President/CEO Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards

What Wines are We Drinking? New World vs. Old World
For Tasting # 1 we compared the Lucas & Lewellen, Santa Barbara, CA Chardonnay with a village-level white Burgundy. Both had crisp, fruit driven flavors, but I preferred the New World wine. Our second pair was a Lucas & Lewellen Bordeaux-style red blend vs. a cru Bourgeois Medoc, Bordeaux, France red blend. The general consensus was that both were comparable, quality wines with the L&L edging out as the favorite. During this tasting Mike Lewellen gave lectures on the history of wine in Normandy, which is sparse, but where the AOC Calvados (apple brandy) reigns (AOC=Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, which defines French wine geographic regions, and methods of production, processing, grapes used.) He detailed the other predominant France wine regions like Bordeaux, Provence, Rhône, Loire Valley, and Burgundy, discussing their specific varietal and blended wines, as well as the terroir* needed for each region.

For Tasting # 2 we tasted four L&L wines. All are recommending below. Mike Lewellen followed the tasting with a trivia quiz that was enthusiastically attended and highly competitive. I was not allowed to be considered for winning!

For the Pairing Dinner at the end of the cruise, Mike Lewellen worked with the chef to pair each course offered with the appropriate wine, starting with his sparkling wine, the Grand Imperiale Reserve. which featured a hint of Cognac in the dosage. A perfect beginning to a memorable dinner.

Wrapping up the wine cruise was a special Champagne tasting curated by Peter Mohr, Managing Director, Wine Scholar Guild, Paris. He presented three Champagnes based on the accepted grapes of the region: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir-based crus. The entire “Methode Champenoise” or “Méthode Traditionnelle” process for making high-quality Champagne was illustrated with a discussion of vintage vs. non-vintage choices.

Wine cruises are recommended! I would like to thank the crew onboard the AmaDante for their keen attention to the wine cruisers needs. A special thanks to Cruise Director: Kristina, Hotel Manager: Peter, and the whole bar and beverage crew. A wine cruise takes so much extra attention on glassware, appetizers, and A/V needs. Bravo AmaDante crew!

Pairing Dinner, seated at the Captain’s Table with Captain Pierre, AmaDante, April 2025, Thanks, Kathleen M.
*Terroir – The accumulation of all conditions surrounding a grape-growing site, including soil, sunlight, daytime and nighttime temperatures, rainfall, drainage, elevation, aspect, etc., all contributing to each wine’s uniqueness.

Best of Tasting
New World Wines: Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards
2020 Lucas & Lewellen Hidden Asset, Valley View Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley $34
A red blend of 34% Malbec, 28% Merlot, 24% Syrah, 11% Petite Sirah, and 3% Cabernet Franc. This blend was a popular cruisers’ choice. Awards: 91 Points, Los Angeles Wine Competition

2023 Lucas & Lewellen, Estate Vineyards, Viognier, Santa Barbara $29
This was my “Best of Tasting White” wine for the week. Each of the L&L Viognier vintages has won numerous awards including Best of Show for the 2022 vintage at the Central Coast Wine Competition.

2023 Lucas & Lewellen Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley, Goodchild Vineyard $36.
100% Chardonnay, 40% Premium new French oak

2019 Lucas & Lewellen “High 9” Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, Goodchild Vineyard $42
92 Points, Wine Enthusiast

2020 Lucas & Lewellen Cabernet Sauvignon, Valley View, Santa Ynez Valley $32
76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petite Verdot, 6% Merlot, 90 Points, Wine Enthusiast ( 2019 Vintage)

2023 Lucas & Lewellen Viognier, Santa Barbara County $29
92 Points, Wine Enthusiast/Editors Choice

2020 Lucas & Lewellen Cabernet Franc, Santa Ynez Valley, Valley View Vineyard $32
100% Cabernet Franc, 22 months 40% new French oak

2020 Lucas & Lewellen Syrah, Valley View Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley $36
100% Syrah, 22 months in French oak.

2022 Lucas & Lewellen Grand Imperiale Reserve Sparkling, Santa Barbara County $48
80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, Methode Champenoise

2021 Lucas & Lewellen, Carménère Santa Ynez Valley, Valley View Vineyard $54
80% Carménère, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6, Co-Fermented, 2% Petito Verdot $54. 18 months 100% new French oak. 92 Points, Wine Enthusiast/Editors’ Choice

2019 Lucas & Lewellen, Cote del Sol Cabernet Sauvignon, Valley View Vineyards, Santa Ynez Valley $48
92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah co-fermented, 21 months 53% new French oak. This was my “Best of Tasting red” selection. 94 Points, Tasting Panel, 91 Points, Wine Enthusiast, Double Gold Orange County Wine Society

2021 Lucas & Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Los Alamos Valley Vineyard, Santa Barbara County $32
100% Sauvignon Blanc

Champagne Tasting, Sponsored by the Wine Scholar Guild
Old World Wines of Note
2018 Poitevin, cru Bourgeois Bordeaux, France, $25
Aspasie Blanc de Blanc Champagne, NV France $36
100% Chardonnay

David Coutelas Cuvee Prestige Brut Rosé Champagne, France $36
“Best of Champagne Tasting” selection.Wine Enthusiast, 88 Points