Category: Travel

Global Traveler, the only AAM-audited magazine for business and luxury travelers, has released their results of its 12th annual Wines on the Wing Airline Wine Competition.

The competition, held May 10, took place at INNSIDE New York Nomad. I was one of the judges who participated in the blind tasting of airlines’ white, red and sparkling wines. Before the tasting, I cleared my mind of bad experiences of on-board wines tasted at 30,000 – 40,000. The other judges hailed from the industry, including sommeliers, wine shop owners and winemakers.

The Process:

Airlines are required to submit five different wines — two red wines, two white wines and one sparkling wine/Champagne — to be eligible for the Best Overall International Business Class Wines on the Wing award or the Best Overall International First Class Wines on the Wing. This year, the overall winner in both categories was Singapore Airlines.

The Results:

In the white wine category, Best International Business Class White Wine was Paulo Laureano Reserva 2014, Alentejo, Portugal, submitted by TAP Portugal. For first class, the winner was Emirates with François Villard Condrieu de Poncins 2014.

The best business-class Champagne was Singapore Airlines’ Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV. The best first-class Champagne was a tie between British Airways’ Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Grande Cuvée, NV; and Singapore Airlines’ Dom Pérignon 2006.

When it came to red wine, American Airlines reigned supreme in the business-class and first-class category with Monte Zovo Amarone della Valpolicella 2012, Italy, and Domaine de la Présidente, Cairanna 2013, Côtes du Rhône, France, respectively.

For the eighth consecutive year, Global Traveler awarded the Best North American Wines on the Wing. North American airlines submitted first-class and business-class wine samples, depending on their domestic flight offerings.

American Airlines swept the North American category, taking Best North American Wines on the Wing, and the awards for white, red and sparkling wines.

For the sixth year, Global Traveler awarded the Best Alliance Wines on the Wing. The participating airlines were divided by their airline alliance. The overall points for each airline were tallied and averaged to determine the alliance with the highest total. Congratulations to Star Alliance.

Competition director Eunice Fried spent months preparing for the blind tasting. Fried, an accomplished wine journalist and respected wine expert, resides in New York City.

Global Traveler is the only U.S.-based publication to conduct such a survey in the United States.

The top airlines in each category are:

BEST INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS WINES ON THE WING

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Delta Air Lines
3. All Nippon Airways
4. Brussels Airlines
5. Emirates

BEST INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS WINES ON THE WING

1. Singapore Airlines
2. All Nippon Airways
3. American Airlines
4. British Airways
5. Emirates

BEST CHAMPAGNE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Delta Air Lines
3. Emirates
4. Aer Lingus
5. All Nippon Airways

BEST CHAMPAGNE INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS

1. British Airways/Singapore Airlines (TIE)
2. All Nippon Airways
3. Emirates
4. American Airlines

BEST WHITE WINE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS

1. TAP Portugal
2. Fiji Airways
3. All Nippon Airways
4. Delta Air Lines
5. Singapore Airlines

BEST WHITE WINE INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS

1. Emirates
2. American Airlines
3. All Nippon Airways
4. British Airways
5. Singapore Airlines

BEST RED WINE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS

1. American Airlines
2. TAP Portugal
3. Brussels Airlines
4. Air Canada
5. Singapore Airlines

BEST RED WINE INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS

1. American Airlines
2. All Nippon Airways
3. Emirates
4. British Airways
5. Singapore Airlines