Carnival Cruise Line Announces Wine Partnership with Kathy Lee Gifford

Talk show host Kathy Lee Gifford has been selected by Carnival Cruise Line to provide wines to all Carnival ships. Gifford’s Gifft collection of wines will be available aboard Carnival cruises from this week, following an event aboard the Carnival Breeze yesterday (Sunday 11^th January 2015).

Gifford has had a long association with Carnival Cruise Line having been named spokesperson for the brand over 30 years ago in 1984. She held that position until the mid-90s, having appeared in a selection of Carnival Cruise Line adverts.

This move seems like a natural progression for Gifford, who has developed a love for and knowledge of wine, regularly featuring Boozeday Tuesday and Winesday Wednesday on her TODAY show in the US. Her love of wine led her to develop the Gifft collection with respected producer, Scheid Family Wines.

The range of Gifft wines have been developed to be affordable and enjoyable – wines which Gifford herself would server at dinner. The range includes a Chardonnay and a red blend. A rosé wine is expected to join the collection in spring this year. The wines have been well-received, earning 88 and 91 out of 100 respectively from Wine Enthusiast magazine.

Gifford was understandably excited about the renewed partnership: “This is a beautiful marriage of my old friends at Carnival and my new friends at Gifft wines. Knowing we’re going to be on every cruise is thrilling.”

The wines will be available by the glass or by the bottle, with the Chardonnay described as a mix between rich as refreshing and the red blend being ‘smooth, juicy and luscious.’

Images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons. Credits: Paternò_, Joe Tolley