Celebrate the Holidays with Schramsberg and Davies Vineyards

A 16-Night Festive Voyage Through New Zealand & Australia
December 18, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Hosted by Vintners Hugh & Monique Davies
Aboard the All-Inclusive Luxury of the Silver Moon

Hugh and Monique Davies

A note from your hosts:

We are truly thrilled to be able to offer you a chance to join us on our 2026/2027 Vintner Cruise. The promise of beautiful seas, exotic ports, delicious food, and extraordinary wine awaits each of us, as we board the luxurious Silversea Silver Moon on a 16-night adventure to New Zealand and Australia.

For the first time, we will be traveling in the Southern Hemisphere, allowing us to enjoy time together over the holidays of Christmas and New Years. It will be so special to celebrate these holidays with each of you and share in this cultural experience with our friends “Down Under.”

Our cruise itinerary takes us from Auckland, NZ, around both the Northern and Southern New Zealand Islands, across the Tasman Sea to Tasmania, and finally to the Australian mainland. We will visit nine cities during our trip, including two overnight stays in ports, as well as get to enjoy six sea days where we can take advantage of the ship’s luxurious amenities, gather for private wine seminars, and share in a winemaker dinner paired with Schramsberg and Davies Vineyards wines.

This year, we are working with Ultimate Travels as our travel partner. Owner Amy Olmsted, along with wine and food editor and writer Sara Schneider (Robb Report & Sunset Magazine) have combined their lifelong experiences and passions to create a Wine and Culinary Travel partnership that we feel will provide us with a level of service that is unmatched.

To heighten your experience with us, Ultimate Travels will be arranging exclusive land excursions throughout the trip, including visits to some of New Zealand’s and Australia’s renowned wine regions. These private group excursions will be hosted by Sara Schneider, local experts of the area, as well as us. We are very excited for this opportunity to meet the Vintners and taste through their wines along with you.  

We look forward to seeing you onboard!

Hugh and Monique Davies

PS. BOOK BY 12/31/25 TO RECEIVE $200 PER SUITE ON BOARD CREDIT!

Your Itinerary:

Auckland to Melbourne

December 18, 2026 - January 3, 2027

Dec 18 — Auckland, New Zealand

Embarkation day in Auckland. Explore the “City of Sails,” visit the Sky Tower, or stroll the waterfront before sailing into the Hauraki Gulf at sunset.

Dec 19 — Tauranga, New Zealand

The sunny capital of New Zealand.  Take in spectacular views of the harbor and the volcanic peak of Mount Maunganui. Experience the Maori culture or the stunning geothermal area of Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve.

Dec 20 — At Sea

Relax in luxury aboard Silver Moon: indulge in spa treatments, sip sundowners on your veranda, and enjoy evening entertainment.

Dec 21 — Picton, New Zealand

Gateway to Marlborough wine country and the scenic Sounds. Vineyard tours, sea kayaking, and coastal drives offer the perfect day ashore.

Dec 22 — Christchurch, New Zealand

Explore the reborn Garden City—botanical gardens, seaside Wanaka & nearby Great Walks or historic tram and Cathedral Square.

Dec 23 — Dunedin, New Zealand

A Scottish-heritage coastal city: Otago Peninsula wildlife, art deco architecture, and a taste of craft beer culture.

Dec 24 — Bluff, New Zealand

The southernmost town in New Zealand, Bluff is the perhaps the most European of all of the settlements in the country. Bluff oysters are reputed to be the best in the world!  Christmas Eve festivities include champagne toasts amid towering cliffs.

Dec 25 — Cruising Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound, New Zealand

Celebrate Christmas Day in two of the world’s most spectacular fjords—sunlit waterfalls, towering peaks and idyllic serenity.

Dec 26 & 27— At Sea

Rejuvenate onboard with morning yoga, afternoon tea and exclusive Schramsberg-hosted tastings in the evening.

Dec 28 & 29 — Hobart, Tasmania

Wander the charming waterfront capital—Richmond’s colonial village, Museum of Old and New Art, or a Scotch Overlook tour. You'll have plenty of time to explore the wonderful breweries and distilleries with our overnight stay here.

Dec 30 - At Sea

Relax, unwind and catch up with what you've been meaning to do.  Gym, spa, whale watching...sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shoreside.

Dec 31 — Eden, Australia

Marine and Indigenous heritage come to life—whale-watching (in season), coastal walks, and handcrafted souvenirs. Ring in the New Year under the stars mid-voyage: gala dinner, live music, and midnight champagne from the deck.

Jan 1— At Sea

New Year’s state of the art: wellness classes, leisurely lunches by the pool and sparkling wine socials atop the open deck.

Jan 2 — Melbourne, Australia

Enjoy an overnight in Australia's cultural capital, a refined, contemporary and richly liveable city. With an airy outdoor lifestyle, Melbourne is a vibrant hub of fashion, fun, and festivities.

Jan 3 — Melbourne, Australia

Disembark in vibrant Melbourne. From laneways and café culture to markets and the Yarra River, the city’s energy is ready for exploration—or onward travel.

Your hosts:

One might say that Hugh Davies was born with a wineglass in his hand, and that wouldn’t be too far from the truth. Hugh was born in 1965, the same year that his parents, Jack and Jamie Davies, purchased the abandoned Schramsberg Estate in Calistoga. Named President of Schramsberg Vineyards in 2005, Hugh Davies had already spent multiple years as the winemaker and general manager of the winery. His diverse background at the University of California, Davis, Bowdoin College in Maine, and honing his skills at Möet et Chandon in Epernay, Petaluma Winery in South Australia, and Mumm Napa Valley provided Hugh with the knowledge and skills to take the reins of Schramsberg and guide it into the future. Under Hugh’s guidence, the winemaking team has increased the number of vineyards that Schramsberg sources from, across Carneros, Anderson Valley, and the Sonoma and Marin coasts; increased usage of barrel fermentation in the production process; and expanded the small-lot base wine program to an impressive 350 lots of unique wines.  In 2001, the red wine program was established, with the first vintage of J. Davies Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2009, the family’s first still Pinot Noir wines. In 2012, the Davies Vineyards winery in St. Helena was opened, where the first non-estate Cabernet Sauvignons were produced, as well as the very first vintage of the J. Davies Estate “Jamie”, the pinnacle bottling of Cabernet Sauvignon for the winery. That would lead to the opening of the Davies Vineyards Visitor Facility in 2017, where fans of both brands have a new beautiful location to taste the array of wines that are crafted annually.

Monique Davies is the young, vibrant matriarch of California’s historic Schramsberg sparkling wine house following in the footsteps of Jamie Davies, her late mother-in-law and Grande Dame of sparkling wine. Raised in the Napa Valley, she attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and continued on to work at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, where during her 13-year tenure, she rose to the position of western regional sales and marketing manager.

In 2004 Monique and Hugh married. In the time since, their shared passion for wine, community and the outdoors have flourished, along with their strong devotion to family. With a striking similarity to Hugh’s generation, the couple has raised three sons: Emrys, Nelson and Hugh Jr. on the historic Schramsberg property. Hugh and Monique never rest on the successes of previous years and are always looking to build upon the winery’s venerable track record of producing award-winning sparkling wines and red wines to rival the best maid in the world.

A wine, food and general lifestyle editor and writer of 30 years, Sara Schneider has served as wine and spirits editor for Decanter, Robb Report, SF Chronicle and Sunset Magazine. She can often be found on the road in search of the best whites and reds in the world’s great wine regions. Schneider has judged many wine competitions herself, both in the states and internationally. She has been nominated for multiple James Beard and IACP journalism awards and holds the Academy of Wine Communication’s Certificate for Excellence in Wine Writing. 

Your Ship: Silver Moon