A recent film titled Just 45 Minutes from Broadway was shot far from the actual Broadway district. By contrast, The Westin New York at Times Square sits less than five minutes from Broadway — just one block from the heart of the theater district and within easy walking distance of more than 40 theaters. The Westin, the brand’s first hotel in New York City, recently completed a $33 million renovation of its 873 guestrooms, many of which now offer striking Manhattan views. The upgrade emphasized sustainability, incorporating energy-efficient systems, recycled materials and other eco-friendly practices. The renovation also included $1.6 million in improvements to the ninth floor’s 8,760 square feet of event and meeting space, centered around a dramatic seven-story Atrium.
It was on that renovated ninth floor where Global Traveler hosted the 2015 Wines on the Wing International First Class and Business Class Airline Wine Competition. Wine professionals judged bottles currently served in international first- and business-class cabins worldwide, plus a separate North American category for flights that begin and end in North America. All tastings were blind: wines were poured into numbered glasses and evaluated without seeing bottles or labels. Scores were awarded solely on what the judges experienced in the glass.
Global Traveler has staged this competition annually since its inception, and this year’s results were compelling. All Nippon Airways (ANA) earned the top overall honor, an unusual sweep that included first-place finishes in both International First Class and International Business Class. Several of ANA’s individual selections ranked among the highest-scoring wines in their categories. For example, Krug Grande Cuvée, Non-Vintage — ANA’s first-class Champagne — was judged best in its class, while Hartford Court Chardonnay 2012 tied with the same wine submitted by American Airlines for Best International First Class White Wine.
ANA selects wines via blind tastings that include sommeliers, a Master of Wine, a Japanese chef and in-flight advisors. Their goal is to pair classic labels with newer discoveries. “We hold blind tastings to select our wines and to make sure we have a diverse selection,” said Toshitaka Watanabe, senior vice president, CS & Product Services. “We have tried not to be confined to wine tradition only but to introduce new labels as well so that our customers will discover a new wine experience.” He called the award “our great honor.”
The airline uses roughly 370,000 full 750-ml bottles and 317,000 quarter-sized bottles annually in first and business class, at an estimated cost of about $4 million.
American Airlines trailed ANA by just 0.75 points in the first-class category and was also among the leaders in business class. Its Champagnes performed strongly in both classes, and Kenefick Ranch Caitlin’s Select Cabernet Franc was named the outstanding red wine in the International First Class category.
American’s wine program focuses on introducing bottles that are uncommon in U.S. markets, creating a sense of discovery for travelers. “Our wine list is unique,” said Ken Chase, who oversees selections. He identifies trends, tastes widely to ensure varietals express their fruit characteristics, and demands that wines perform well both at ground level and at altitude. American rotates its wine list quarterly, with occasional interim additions, and opens about one million bottles annually in premium cabins.
British Airways also scored highly across classes. Its Tiki Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2014 from Marlborough, New Zealand, claimed the highest-scoring white in business class and stood as the top white wine overall in the competition — a result that pleased Christopher Cole, the airline’s food and beverage manager. British Airways’ in-house team works with a Master of Wine to curate route-specific lists; the carrier opens approximately 1.3 million full bottles, 650,000 bottles of Champagne and 10 million quarter bottles of wine each year.
Hainan Airlines’ selection, Leventre-Dedieu Non-Vintage, was the highest-scoring Champagne in International Business Class. Hainan’s selection process includes blind tastings by five sommeliers and other experienced tasters, sampling more than 40 wines before choosing offerings for onboard service.
Fiji Airways, a boutique carrier, focuses on small-batch, carefully sourced wines. Its business-class results reflected that emphasis: Tempus Two Blanc de Blancs 2013 took top honors among sparkling wines in International Business Class, Shaw + Smith Shiraz 2010 was the highest-scoring red in business class, and Tempus Two Cabernet Merlot 2012 also ranked among the top red wines in that category. “We undertake an extensive wine review and sampling of wines from the best producers around the globe,” said Carolyne Gregory, executive manager, product and service. Fiji’s current selections come from Australia, and the airline refreshes wines with each menu cycle.
EL AL Israel Airlines, which serves all Israeli wines chosen by wine professional Yair Haidu, placed among the Top Five International Business Class airlines. Its Yarden Blanc de Blancs 2008 ranked among the top sparkling wines in business class, while Petit Castel 2013 and Teperberg Reserve Merlot 2011 were strong performers among business-class reds. EL AL offers two wine menus each year, each featuring eight Israeli wines plus a wine-of-the-month, totaling more than 20 different Israeli wines annually.
Delta Air Lines gained recognition for its Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve Non-Vintage Champagne in business class and earned the top spot in the North American Wines on the Wing category. Its Robert Mondavi Chardonnay 2012 was named Top North American White Wine. Virgin America won two North American awards: Le Grand Courtâge Brut, Grand Cuvée Blanc de Blancs was named Top Sparkling Wine, and The Messenger Red Wine Number One claimed Top North American Red Wine.
Fifteen participating airlines belonged to the three major alliances — oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance. The alliance with the highest average score among its member carriers was oneworld, represented by American Airlines, British Airways and LATAM Airlines Group.
When people raise a glass in different languages, they toast with “Santé,” “Salute,” “Prost” or “Vashe zdorovie.” At the close of Wines on the Wing 2015, judges’ appreciation spanned languages — a simple “Thank you” for a well-run tasting and memorable selections.
The Winners
TOP THREE INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS WINES ON THE WING
1. All Nippon Airways
2. American Airlines
3. British Airways
TOP FIVE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS WINES ON THE WING
1. All Nippon Airways
2. British Airways
3. Fiji Airways
4. EL AL Israel Airlines
5. American Airlines
TOP THREE CHAMPAGNES INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS
1. Krug Grande Cuvée, NV (All Nippon Airways)
2. Gosset Grande Réserve Brut, NV (American Airlines)
3. Laurent-Perrier Grande Siècle, NV (British Airways)
TOP FIVE CHAMPAGNES INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS
1. Leventre-Dedieu Champagne, NV (Hainan Airlines)
2. Boizel Grand Vintage 2004 (British Airways)
3. Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve, NV (Delta Air Lines)
4. Henriot Brut Souverain, NV (All Nippon Airways) Tie Paul Dangin & Fils Brut Prestige, NV (American Airlines)
5. Robert Champagne, NV (China Airlines)
TOP FIVE SPARKLING (NON-CHAMPAGNE) WINES INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS
1. Tempus Two Blanc de Blancs 2013 (Fiji Airways)
2. Luis Pato Blanc de Blancs, NV (TAP Portugal)
3. Graham Beck Brut, NV (South African Airways)
4. Yarden Blanc de Blancs 2008 (EL AL Israel Airlines)
5. Franciacorta Cuvée Magnifica Brut, NV (Alitalia)
TOP THREE WHITE WINES INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS
1. Hartford Court Chardonnay 2012, Russian River Valley, California Tie (All Nippon Airways) and (American Airlines)
2. Schloss Vollrads Riesling 2011, Germany (All Nippon Airways)
3. Ürziger Würzgarten Kabinett Riesling 2009, Mosel, Germany (American Airlines)
TOP FIVE WHITE WINES INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS
1. Tiki Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Marlborough, New Zealand (British Airways)
2. Gentil Hugel 2013, Alsace, France (All Nippon Airways)
3. Domaine Sylvain Bailly Sancerre 2014, France (Brussels Airlines)
4. Paco & Lola Albariño 2013, Spain (Brussels Airlines)
5. Quintay Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Grand Reserve, Chile (LATAM Airlines Group)
TOP THREE RED WINES INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS
1. Kenefick Ranch Caitlin’s Select Cabernet Franc 2007, Napa Valley, California (American Airlines)
2. Domaine Louis Latour Corton 2007, Burgundy, France (All Nippon Airways)
3. Ser Gioveto Toscana 2009, Italy (American Airlines)
TOP FIVE RED WINES INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS
1. Shaw + Smith Shiraz 2010, Australia (Fiji Airways)
2. Petit Castel 2013 (EL AL Israel Airlines)
3. 14 Hands Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, Washington State (All Nippon Airways) Tie Domaine des Sénéchaux Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2011, France (British Airways)
4. Jean Claude Mas 2012, Languedoc, France (American Airlines) Triple Tie Teperberg Reserve Merlot 2011, Israel (EL AL Israel Airlines) Tempus Two Cabernet Merlot 2012, Australia (Fiji Airways)
5. Diemersdal Merlot 2013, South Africa (South African Airways)
TOP NORTH AMERICAN FIRST CLASS/BUSINESS CLASS
Top North American Wines on the Wing
Delta Air Lines
Top North American Sparkling Wine
Le Grand Courtâge Brut, Grand Cuvée Blanc de Blancs, NV (Virgin America)
Top North American White Wine
Robert Mondavi Chardonnay 2012, Napa Valley, California (Delta Air Lines)
Top North American Red Wine
The Messenger Red Wine Number One, California, Bordeaux blend (Virgin America)
Top Airline Alliance
oneworld
Represented by American Airlines, British Airways and LATAM Airlines Group
Judging Process
Airlines offering long-haul international first-class and/or business-class service were invited to submit two white wines, two red wines and one Champagne or sparkling wine currently on their menus, along with their wine lists. The same conditions applied to North American carriers with first-class and/or business-class service. Airlines shipped their wines to the competition office; while many handled customs without issue, some declined to participate because of customs restrictions.
Submitted wines were coded and grouped into flights by type and origin — for example, all California Chardonnays were tasted together, as were all Australian Shiraz. Judges received only the wine type, region and, when relevant, the vintage; bottles and labels remained concealed. If a wine appeared flawed, a reserve bottle was opened. Professional assistants poured the wines, and GT staff supervised the tasting.
Each wine was scored on a modified Davis 20-point scale. Judges’ individual scores were averaged, and the average scores for an airline’s submissions were totaled. Individual top-scoring wines and airlines with the highest combined totals earned the Wines on the Wing awards.
Judges
Manos Angelakis — Senior wine and food writer for Luxury Web Magazine and author of the Oenophile Blog, with extensive travel and judging experience.
Cesar Baeza — Enologist, consultant and educator with training in Chile, France, Spain and California, and former wine master and co-owner of Brotherhood Winery, New York.
Sean Cassidy — Hotel manager of The Westin New York at Times Square, a Food and Beverage Association of America board member and seasoned hotel executive.
John Fanning — General manager of The Lambs Club, New York, with a broad background as wine director and manager at notable restaurants in New York and Rome.
Fred Ferretti — Asian food authority for Food Arts magazine and veteran wine and food writer with a background at the New York Times and Gourmet.
Xavier Flouret — Owner of Cognac One LLC, wine importer and curator of Xavier Flouret Wines, importer of several notable Champagnes and estate wines.
David Frieser — President of Beekman Liquors, a long-established Manhattan wine shop, and frequent wine lecturer.
Frank Johnson — Chairman and CEO of Frank Johnson Selections, an international wine brokerage firm and author/editor of wine publications.
Harriet Lembeck — President of the Wine and Spirits Program, long-time wine educator and author of multiple editions of Grossman’s wine guide.
Gilles Martin — Winemaker and director of operations at Sparkling Pointe on Long Island, with training and experience in French and U.S. wineries.
David Milligan — President of David Milligan Selections, representing fine French producers with more than 40 years in the trade.
Katherine Moore, FWS — General manager of Union Square Wine & Spirits, a major Manhattan retail shop.
Johannes Neckermann — International wine consultant with experience at Champagne Taittinger and in sommelier work, wine retail and education.
Roman Roth — Winemaker and general manager of Wölffer Estate on Long Island, with prior experience in Germany, Australia and California.
William Short — Regional manager, New York for Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., with a long career in fine-wine importing and prior experience as an educator.
Darrin Siegfried — Owner of Il Gallo Giallo Wine Bar, president of the Sommelier Society of America and founder of wine retail and restaurant ventures in New York.
After-Party Guests
After the professional tasting, Global Traveler opened the event to friends and clients. Guests sampled open wines and observed the blind-tasting setup behind the annual Wines on the Wing airline wine survey.