Cellars in The Sky Recognises Best Airline Wines

First and Business Class travellers who enjoy their wine might like to fly with some of the winners in this year’s Cellars in the Sky Awards. The annual Cellars in the Sky awards, run by Business Traveller magazine, were presented last Thursday 3^rd February to celebrate the best wines served in-flight. The awards recognise the best wines served in Business and First Class by airlines across the world.

The ceremony was held at London’s Thistle Kensington Gardens hotel and hosted by Charles Metcalfe, TV wine presenter and co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge.

So just which airlines are best to travel on if you’re a bit of a wine connoisseur?

If you’re taking your next flight in First Class, Qantas swept the board winning a total of six awards- two more than last year.  The airline won Best First Class White for its Barossa Peter Lehmann Wigan Eden Valley Riesling 2004, Best First Class Red for its Canberra Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2006 and Best First Class Sparkling for its Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1999. The Australian international airline also has the Best Business Class Cellar, Best First Class Cellar and Consistency of Wines across Business and First Class.

Qatar Airways scooped the awards for Best Business Class Sparkling, Business Class Fortified/Sweet (tied with Al Nippon) and First Class Fortified, so if you’re more into your Port Wine and aperitifs than your chardonnay, this airline offers some of the best fortifieds in the sky.

Air New Zealand was presented with two awards for Best Business Class Red and Best-presented Wine List, and American Airlines took the honour for Best Business Class White. German carrier Lufthansa was given the prize for the Airline with the Most Improved Business Class Cellar.  All Nippon Airways took the gong for Most Improved First Class Cellar, whilst Oneworld was voted the alliance with the best onboard wines.

Over 75 airlines were given the chance to submit two whites, two reds, one sparkling and one fortified or sweet wine for both First and Business Class categories. Whilst they didn’t have to enter all the categories, they did have to enter at least one red, one white and a bubbly.

A record number of 36 airlines took part in this year’s Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky awards, which have been running for over two decades. Five judges took part in blind taste tests over two days to score the wines and determine the best offerings in both First Class and Business Class.

Judges of the best airline wines were Charles Metcalfe, TV wine presenter and co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge; Sam Harrop, Master of Wine and winemaking consultant; Derek Smedley, Master of Wine for more than 40 years, consultant and co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge; Peter McCombie, Master of Wine, accredited tutor for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and consultant; John Worontschak, leading winemaker and wine business development consultant