Enchanting Rhine Cruise, April 4-11, 2026, with Curtis Hascall of Shale Oak Winery

Shale Oak Winery
Curtis Hascall, Winemaker

Attracted by Shale Oaks’ commitment to producing high quality wines in a sustainable fashion, Curtis Hascall has been winemaker at Shale Oak since 2010. Born in Watford, England, Curtis intended on becoming a master beer brewer when he grew up. He moved from the San Francisco Bay area to San Luis Obispo where he became a food-science graduate of Cal Poly State University. His focus on making beer took a turn, however, when a friend hired him to drag hoses in the cellar at Norman Vineyards in Paso Robles. After working there for a few years, he took advantage of an opportunity to work a harvest at Cumulus Winery in Orange, Australia, where he would stay for one vintage. Curtis and the winemaking team have racked up an impressive list of awards and accolades in a relatively short amount of time. Upon your first tasting of Shale Oak, you’ll know why. Join Curtis on a voyage of discovery down the mighty Rhine River from Basel to Amsterdam, visiting Switzerland, French Alsace, Germany and the Netherlands. This is one of the most popular river cruises in Europe. Highlights include sailing beneath the 41 castles above the Rhine Gorge. Ports of call include Basel, Strasbourg, Rudesheim, Cologne and Amsterdam.

On board the AmaViola, Curtis will conduct two tastings on board and one paired dinner with the extraordinary, multi-award-winning wines from Shale Oak. This is a delightful experience for lovers of fine wines and cuisine, combined with stunning scenery and diverse cities across four European nations.

Join us!

Curtis Hascall
Winemaker