The expertise and know-how of sommeliers in providing the best wine and spirits lists on board airlines deserves congratulations, as it is not easy to satisfy the taste buds of even the most demanding oenophiles in the skies. This is why, as every year, Business Traveler unveils its ranking of airlines that serve the best wines to its customers: “Cellars in the Sky Awards”.
And this time, first place was taken by the Australian airline QantasIt should be noted that this is not the first time that the carrier has been included in the list of the best wine offerings. In fact, it has been awarded several medals for several consecutive years.
A blind tasting to determine the quality of the offering
For 33th Business Traveller once attempted to determine which airline offers the best wine offerings among 33 airlines. To conduct this experiment, 240 fine wines offered to passengers on long-haul flights were blindly tasted by a panel of 4 independent wine experts. This allowed the quality of wines served by airlines to its wine-loving customers to be assessed. Indeed, first-class and business passengers remain very attentive to the excellence of the services provided, and this includes the excellence of the bottles of wine offered. However, serving wine is not necessarily easy and remains very delicate at 11 meters above sea level. The flavor is altered and the taste in the mouth is not the same given that the air and pressure variations impact the enjoyment of the drink.
Gold medal for Qantas
The awards were presented on Friday 1er last March at the Langham Hotel in London. And first place goes to Qantas, not Air France. Indeed, the Australian carrier was awarded the gold medal overall thanks to the high quality of the wines it serves its passengers on board. But the airline also won the gold medal for "Best Business Class Fortified/Dessert Wine" and tied with Cathay Pacific with a gold medal for its selection of champagnes. Notably, with the serving of Taittinger's Comtes de Champagne Blanc de blancs 2006. The Australian carrier also won the gold medal for its white wine, with an Australian gem, a 2015 Penfolds Chardonnay, and a 2016 Margaret River Chardonnay by Flametree SRS Wallcliffe.
The silver medal went to Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific, which also won a gold medal for the best red wine served in Business Class. The bronze medal went to ANA (All Nippon Airways) and Qatar Airways.
Qantas also serves the best wines in first class, and British Airways is recognized with a gold medal in business class. American Airlines also received accolades.
Air France, a member of the Skyteam alliance, won the prize for the best Champagne served in First Class thanks to the prestigious Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2006.
On the other hand, the oneworld alliance was also nominated for "Best Airline Alliance" for the exceptional quality of the wines selected and served on board its member airlines. The number of medals won by these airlines is not insignificant, as they received 25 of the 43 gold, silver, and bronze medals. Among these awards, oneworld alliance carriers received 12 of the 16 gold medals at the "Cellars in the Sky Awards."
Patrick
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