I have so much to share about recent and upcoming travel, especially my trip last month on the AmaMagna, the flagship of AmaWaterways. I sailed with a select group from the Global Traveler Globility Board for a seven-night voyage along the Danube River. I will provide a fuller report on the cruise in a future issue, but I can say it was a pleasure to talk travel with true experts in the field.
We announced the return of the Wines on the Wing international airline wine competition, scheduled for New York in spring 2024. This marks the 17th edition of the judging event. We have named Tom Gannon as wine director for the 2024 competition. Tom and I have worked together for years and share many connections in the New York restaurant community. We’re delighted to bring back Wines on the Wing and pleased that our wine director is a longtime friend of Global Traveler.
Tom Gannon enjoyed a long career in food and beverage before becoming sommelier at Rothmann’s Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan in early 2002. Nine years later he joined the Spire Collection, a luxury portfolio of Jackson Family Wines. Dividing his time between Nashville and New York, Tom is a member of the Albany chapter of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin and is cofounder and current partner of the whiskey brand Harlem Standard.
The team at Global Traveler will contact our airline partners about the wines required to enter the competition. The rules are strict: wines should correspond to the onboard menus in business class, first class and premium economy. If an exact match isn’t available, airlines can often provide manifests or purchase receipts to confirm that the wines are served on board in the respective cabins.
Our panel of judges includes many long-time contributors to the survey and some of the top experts in the field. We will publish the competition results in the August 2024 issue of Global Traveler.
Until we board again, save me a glass of Champagne.
Cheers!
Francis X. Gallagher
Publisher and CEO