Top Airline Wines – Cellars in the Sky Awards for 2009
Business Traveller announced on February 9, 2010, the annual Cellars in the Sky Awards, recognizing the best business and first class wines served by airlines worldwide.
The big winner this year was Qantas, which walked away with four awards, for Best First Class Red Wine, Best First Class Fortified / Sweet Wine, Best First Class Cellar, and Best Presented Wine List. The airline's haul also helped Oneworld come out on top in the Best Alliance category. Cathay Pacific won two awards for its business-class offerings, triumphing in the Best Business Class Red Wine and Best Business Class Cellar categories, and Lufthansa also bagged two awards, for Best Business Class Fortified / Sweet Wine, and Best First Class Sparkling Wine.
For a full rundown of the results, click here.
Commenting on this year's entries, TV wine presenter and co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge Metcalfe, one of the judges, said there had been some pleasant surprises, with a number of unusual choices, perhaps reflective of the economic situation. "Airlines are having to be more creative with their wine choices," said Metcalfe. "Rather than choosing an expensive and well-known label, they are choosing lesser-known but much more interesting wines."
The Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky Awards have been running since 1985, with 34 airlines taking part this time round: Aer Lingus, Air Astana, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Alitalia, American Airlines, ANA, Austrian Airlines, Bmi, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Finnair, Gulf Air, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, LAN, Lufthansa, Mexicana, Qantas, Qatar Airways, SAS, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, TAM Airlines and US Airways.
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I am not sure the judges gave Lufthansa the credit it deserves. In my opinion, the sweet dessert wines that they serve in First are nothing short of fantastic. Admittedly, it was a few years ago, but I will never forget drinking Silvaner Eiswein, Weingut Guntrum, Nierstein 2004 on Lufthansa. It was marvelous. And more recently, I noticed they served a Chardonnay-based Eiswein in First. Much more interesting, in my mind, than airlines that confine their dessert wines in First to brand name LBV ports!
ReplyDeleteLouis, I agree with you. I think Lufthansa has a pretty good selection of wines on their flights. Cheers.
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