From The Straits Times    |

A panel of wine experts has announced that among the major European airlines Lufthansa and Thomson Airways serve the best economy class wine on their flights.

For this edition of the Airline Wine Award, the travel website Skyscanner invited a panel of experts to blind taste airline wines. The juries rated 21 wines using a scale of 1- 10 points.

The flights with the best wines
Thomson Airways, Lufthansa top Skyscanner’s list of flights with best wines

The winner of the 2012 awards for red wines is Thomson Airways (TUI) serving Finca la Linda Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, produced in Argentina. Thomson is followed by Scandinavian carrier SAS with its Backhouse Pinot Noir 2011 produced in California, USA. In third place, is Turkish Pegasus Airlines serving a Kavaklidere Angora 2011 produced in Turkey.

In the white wine category, Lufthansa came in first place with its Peter & Peter Riesling, Mosel, 2011, produced in Germany and followed by KLM with Terra Andina Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay 2012, from Chile. In third place, was easyjet serving Louis Mondeville, Sauvignon Blanc 2011, produced in the Pays d’Oc region of France.

The juries agreed that the competition for the white wine was more closely fought this year, as the overall quality of the white wines was particularly high.

In past competitions, KLM has been the most consistent participant, being rewarded in both categories for two consecutive years.

The panel was composed of 12 wine experts and frequent travelers and led by Tom Cannavan. Among the panelists were Stuart Fyfe, head sommelier at the Hotel du Vin, Edinburgh, Claire Blackler, founder of the Case Studies Wine School and Denise Medrano of The Winesleuth.

At the same time, travel website Skyscanner carried out a study on alcohol consumption among 1,000 British travelers. According to the results, 23 percent of travelers are most likely to drink wine on the plane, 53 percent drink some kind of alcohol everyday when on holiday, whereas 12 percent say they never have an alcoholic drink when traveling.

In the Business and First Class category, this summer Global Traveler magazine published the results of its annual Wines on the Wing Airline Wine Competition. A panel of 28 experts participated in the blind tasting of airlines’ red, white and sparkling. The Best Overall International Business Class Wines on the Wing award was granted to Brussels Airlines, while the Best Overall International First Class Wines on the Wing was given to British Airways.

Best white wine according to Skyscanner

1. Lufthansa, Peter & Peter Riesling, Mosel, Germany 2011
2. KLM Terra Andina Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay, Chile 2012
3. easyjetLouis Mondeville, Sauvignon Blanc, Pays d’Oc, 2011
4. Pegasus, Kavaklidere Cankaya, Turkey 2011
5. BA & Iberia, Val de los Frailes, Bodegas Matarromera Verdejo 2011

Best red wine according to Skyscanner

1. Thomson Finca La Linda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina 2011
2. SAS, Backhouse Pinot Noir, USA 2011
3. Pegasus, Kavaklidere Angora, Turkey 2011
4. BMI, Grand Sud, Merlot 2011
5. KLM, Terra Andina Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, Chile 2011