WineOfTheWeek has found itself up in the air recently.
Over the past couple of months, the day job has required various trips to European cities. Those who have shared this experience will know there is nothing glamorous about the 5.30am flight out of Heathrow and midnight return into Gatwick (find your own way home mate).
I don’t enjoy flying. And I really don’t enjoy flying when the airline is serving p*ss poor wine.
Last week the annual ‘Cellars in the Sky Awards’ ceremony was held in London. The evening celebrates the best that airlines have to offer in the service of wine. Given that a bottle of Blossom Bloody Hill would be an improvement on the shocking choices I’ve been offered up on British Airways, Alitalia and BMI this year I would have thought that this would be one of the more ridiculous wine award ceremonies.
And yet, the Cellars in the Sky competition has been running since 1985 and was set up by Business Traveller magazine to assess the best wines available in Business and First Class on board the world’s flights.
Big winner of the night was Qantas. The Aussie birds of steel won six awards including: Best First Class White, First Class Red and First Class Sparkling, as well as Best Business Class Cellar, Best First Class Cellar and Consistency of Wines Across Business and First Class.
Best Business Class Red went to Air New Zealand for the choice of Matariki Syrah 2007, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand) while Best Business Class White was awarded to American Airlines for the Wegeler Bernkasteler Doktor Riesling 2007, Bernkastel, Mosel, Germany.
Here’s those awards in full:
Business Class White – American Airlines (Wegeler Bernkasteler Doktor Riesling 2007, Bernkastel, Mosel, Germany)
Business Class Red – Air New Zealand (Matariki Syrah 2007, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand)
Business Class Sparkling – Qatar Airways (Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle 1996, Champagne, France)
Business Class Fortified and Sweet – Qatar Airways and All Nippon Airways (Taylor’s 20-Year-Old Tawny Port, Douro, Portugal)
First Class White – Qantas (Peter Lehmann Wigan Eden Valley Riesling 2004, Barossa, Australia)
First Class Red – Qantas (Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2006, Canberra, Australia)
First Class Sparkling – Qantas (Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1999, Champagne, France)
First Class Fortified – Qatar Airways (Domaine Weinbach Clos des Capucins Furstentum Grand Cru Vendanges Tardives Gewurztraminer 2005, Alsace, France)
Best Business Class Cellar
1. Qantas
2. Air New Zealand
3. Qatar Airways
4. Malaysia Airlines
5. American Airlines
Best First Class Cellar
1. Qantas
2. Qatar Airways
3. All Nippon Airways
4. Cathay Pacific
5. Thai Airways
Data from Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky Awards
