Relax aboard a Carnival cruise ship and sip GIFFT Pinot Noir Rosé wine as you watch the ocean roll. The new wine was officially launched this week by “Today” show host Kathie Lee Gifford as part of her GIFFT wine collection.

“I love that I’m launching our Pinot Noir Rosé aboard Carnival with whom I’ve had such a fantastic partnership for so many years now,” Gifford said in a news release. “The fact that we can expand on that relationship through a love of wine is just all the better. I can’t imagine a better spot for folks to enjoy a glass of GIFFT wine than while relaxing out on the ocean aboard a Carnival ship.”

The new brand joins the GIFFT Red Blend and Chardonnay that were introduced fleet wide aboard Carnival ships earlier this year. The limited-edition Pinot Noir Rosé  is 100 percent estate-grown and features ripe strawberry, raspberry and red apple aromas to exhibit bright fruit flavors framed by a crisp juicy acidity.

The wine was created with California-based Scheid Relax on a Carnival cruise and Family Wines, one of the largest vineyard owners in Monterey County known for having the longest growing season in California.

Carnival is the only cruise line featuring GIFFT wines. In its tasting ratings, Wine Enthusiast magazine rated the GIFFT red with a 91 of a possible 100 points while giving the chardonnay 88 points.

“Our guests have really embraced GIFFT wines to make them among the most popular offerings on our wine list,” said Eddie Allen, Carnival’s vice president of beverage operations. “The aromas and flavors of this rosé are very food friendly and complement so much of Carnival’s vast shipboard culinary offerings.”

Gifford originally became associated with the “Fun Ship” brand in the 1980s when Carnival launched the cruise industry’s first national television campaign. She appeared in the “If You Could See Me Now” and “Ain’t We Got Fun?” ads.

Story by Jackie Sheckler Finch. Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines