At a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet, airline passengers appreciate a glass of wine or champagne, often unaware of the extensive selection process undertaken by airlines to provide their chosen beverages. The selection not only focuses on familiar and enjoyable wines, but also takes into account factors such as quantity availability, the influence of altitude on aroma and flavor, and keeping up with current trends.

When selecting wines, a major consideration for airlines is the quantity available. Even slightly smaller airlines that operate purely long-haul flights, such as Virgin Atlantic, need large quantities. On average, they serve between nine and twelve bottles of each of their wines per Upper Class flight.

Fulfilling the wine demands of larger airlines, especially for the economy cabins, requires large quantities. Even on long-haul business class flights, there are typically at least four wines and two champagnes or sparkling wine options available. These substantial requirements often eliminate a lot of smaller wineries from contention, as they either can’t meet the required demand, or they may not want to.

Price certainly plays a role as the quality of the wine must harmonize with the price and other variables. Considering airlines procure in massive volumes, they generally anticipate a good bargain, however, certain vineyards may choose to sell at a higher price in smaller quantities in the open market.

It’s also crucial to consider how the wines will taste in flight, as the impact of altitude and cabin pressure can make white wines and champagnes seem more acidic and make red wines’ tannins appear harsher. The main challenge for your taste buds in-flight is the dry atmosphere, which can alter your flavor perception. If your nose and palate are dry, it can make the wines taste bland. Drinking plenty of water and using a saline spray for your nose can help mitigate these effects. The good news though, is that modern aircraft, like the Airbus 350, have more humid conditions on board than older ones and this will likely enhance as aircraft advance over time.

Virgin Atlantic selected its wines in agreement with its associates, Jeroboams Trade wine merchants. The wine trader compiles a shortlist of wines after an evaluation by Peter Mitchell MW and their own Jeroboams team, that is then analyzed by a panel of Virgin’s WSET-qualified in-house Food and Beverage management team. This process occurs biannually, allowing a variety of opinions to zero in the best wines for their customers. The changes of wines on board correspond with the modifications on the food menu, occurring in April and October.

The airline has recently switched its champagne to the widely acclaimed Laurent Perrier and will also serve an English sparkling wine, Hambledon, as a welcome drink in the Upper Class. The airline aims to choose a wine that strikes a balance between old and new world wines, wines that travelers recognize and appreciate versus emerging types that are currently trending. Other elements taken into account are the seasons and guaranteeing a mixture of lighter and heavier styles to accommodate all palettes.

Shiada Drysdale, who holds the position of Beverage Lead at Virgin Atlantic commented, “We take pride in offering guest wines on various occasions, these may attribute to wines made in England, wines with a sustainable backstory, seasonal varities, or others that honor specific routes or its origin within our network. In honor of English Wine Week, we are pleased to provide three still wines from England for the month of June. Since 2018, our offerings have included Hambledon English Sparkling, and we are proud to constantly serve such a renowned wine as a signature pour and recently as our Welcome Drink.”

British Airways boasts its own Master of Wine, Tim Jackson, making him the only full-time master of wine to work for an airline worldwide. The airline practices a rotation of its wines every three months, and chooses a different featured British Airways destination such as South Africa for each white and red wine.

In May, Air France declared that it had appointed award-winning sommelier Xavier Thuizat, the head Sommelier at Hôtel de Crillon, to be responsible for the future wine, champagne, and spirits list across all cabins and Paris lounges. This sommelier native to Burgundy will also curate a new variety of French beers to pair well with the French wines and gin already on offer.

A passenger flying on Air France’s La Première is being served champagne.

Air France offers luxury wines such as Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle champagne in La Première, their First class section. Other distinguished wines provided include Bourgogne Pouilly-Fuissé Albert Bichot 2022 in the business class and Meursault 1er cru Château de Blagny Louis Latour 2020 in First class. Air France is among the limited airlines that offer champagne in economy class (Pannier Brut) and business class travellers are greeted with the delightful ritual of a glass of champagne and a snack before meal service.

Even the economy class passengers of Air France are treated with champagne.

Xavier shared, “Joining Air France and collaborating with its teams on curating the company’s wine, champagne and spirits catalogue is a significant privilege for me. I am eager to share my latest selections, mingle French elegance with the secrets of our wine-growing regions, and let you tour the French vineyards throughout your flight. Achieving a balance between tradition and modernity while on a daily pursuit of this will be my responsibility.”

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