Qantas has the best wine cellars in the sky

February 9, 2012 Comments Off on Qantas has the best wine cellars in the sky 229 Views

Photo by Flickr user Star5112.

Australian carrier Qantas is the big winner at Business Traveller’s 2011 Cellars in the Sky airline wine awards, winning in six categories. Other winners include Delta, Jetstar, LAN Chile, Qatar Airways, TAM, Emirates, Air France and Cathay Pacific.

The awards recognise the best business and first class wines served by airlines worldwide, with around 250 wines entered by a total of 32 carriers.

Wines were selected via blind tastings with five judges independently scoring them. The five judges were:

  • Charles Metcalfe, TV wine presenter and co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge
  • Tim Atkin, Master of Wine
  • Sam Harrop, Master of Wine and winemaking consultant
  • Peter McCombie, Master of Wine and accredited tutor for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET)
  • John Worontschak, leading winemaker and wine business development consultant

The detailed winners list is:

FIRST CLASS

First Class White
1. Emirates – Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, 2006, Margaret River, Western Australia
2. Qantas – Tyrrell’s Winemaker’s Selection Vat 1 Semillon, 2005, Hunter Valley, Australia
3. Malaysia Airlines – Frédéric Magnien Meursault Coeur de Roches, 2009, Burgundy, France

First Class Red
1. TAM – Clos Canon, 2008, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France
2. British Airways – St Hallett Blackwell Shiraz, 2006, Barossa Valley, South Australia
3. (JOINT) All Nippon Airways – Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, 2007, Labouré-Roi, Burgundy, France
AND British Airways – Château Smith Haut Lafitte, 2004, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France
AND Singapore Airlines – Louis Jadot Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru, 2007, Burgundy, France

First Class Sparkling
1. (JOINT) Air France – Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, 2000, France
AND Qantas – Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, 1999, France
2. Cathay Pacific – Champagne Deutz Amour de Deutz Brut, 2002, France
3. (JOINT) All Nippon Airways/Qatar Airways – Champagne Krug Grand Cuvée, NV, France
AND Emirates/Malaysia Airlines – Champagne Dom Pérignon, 2002, France

First Class Fortified and Sweet
1. Cathay Pacific – Ramos Pinto Quinta da Ervamoira Ten Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal
2. Qantas – Morris Old Premium Rare Liqueur Rutherglen Muscat, NV, Victoria, Australia
3. (JOINT) British Airways – Jackson Triggs Proprietors’ Reserve Vidal Icewine, 2007, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada
AND Emirates – Quinta do Noval Vintage Port, 2000, Portugal
AND Qatar Airways – Domaine Weinbach Clos des Capucins Furstentum Grand Cru Vendanges Tardives, 2008, Alsace, France

First Class Cellar
1. Qantas
2. Qatar Airways
3. Air France

Most Improved First Class Cellar
TAM

BUSINESS CLASS

Business Class White
1. (JOINT) Delta Air Lines – Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay, 2010, Monterey, California
AND Jetstar – Waipara Hills Sauvignon Blanc, 2010, Marlborough, New Zealand
2. (JOINT) All Nippon Airways – Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 2010, Marlborough, New Zealand
AND Qantas – Leo Buring Leopold Riesling, 2008, Tamar Valley, Tasmania, Australia
AND Qatar Airways – Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spätlese, 2007, Mosel, Germany
3. (JOINT) Eva Airways – Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett, 2008, Dr Carl Von Schubert, Ruwer, Germany
AND Malaysia Airlines – Stonier Chardonnay, 2009, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia

Business Class Red
1. Qantas – Mount Langi Ghiran Cliff Edge Shiraz, 2008, Victoria, Australia
2. (JOINT) All Nippon Airways – The Lucky Country Shiraz, 2010, McLaren Vale, South Australia
AND Emirates – Domaine des Sénéchaux Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2008, Rhône, France
3. (JOINT) Eva Airways – Valduero Reserva, 2006, Ribera del Duero, Spain
AND Virgin Atlantic – Ottoventi Nero D’avola .20, 2009, Sicily, Italy

Business Class Sparkling
1. LAN Airlines – Champagne Louis Roederer Brut Premier, NV, France
2. Qantas – Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, NV, France
3. Qatar Airways – Champagne Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame, 1998, France

Business Class Fortified and Sweet
1. Qatar Airways – Kopke Colheita Port, 1974, Portugal
2. Qantas – Seppeltsfield Para Grand Tawny, NV, South Australia
3. (JOINT) Emirates – Dow’s Ten Year Old Tawny, NV, Portugal
AND Korean Air – Inniskillin Icewine Vidal, 2007, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

Business Class Cellar
1. Qantas
2. Jetstar
3. Qatar Airways

Most Improved Business Class Cellar
Cathay Pacific

Photo courtesy Flickr user Star5112.

About Devesh Agarwal

A electronics and automotive product management, marketing and branding expert, he was awarded a silver medal at the Lockheed Martin innovation competition 2010. He is ranked 6th on Mashable's list of aviation pros on Twitter and in addition to Bangalore Aviation, he has contributed to leading publications like Aviation Week, Conde Nast Traveller India, The Economic Times, and The Mint (a Wall Street Journal content partner). He remains a frequent flier and shares the good, the bad, and the ugly about the Indian aviation industry without fear or favour.

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