Awards

Cellars in the Sky 2013

27 Dec 2013 by Tom Otley
WIne glasses

The winners of Business Traveller‘s Cellars in the Sky Awards 2013 have been announced, with Qantas scooping an impressive five prizes.

The annual awards, which recognise the best business and first class wines served by airlines worldwide, were presented at Trinity House in London by Charles Metcalfe, co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge and food and wine matching guru.

As last year, Qantas won the greatest number of awards, winning the prizes for Best First Class White, Best First Class Sparkling, Best First Class Cellar, Best Business Class Cellar and the coveted Best Overall Wine Cellar award.

Two airlines took home two prizes apiece — Emirates was awarded Best First Class Red and Best Business Class Fortified/Dessert Wine, while Eva Air received Best Business Class White and Best Business Class Sparkling.

El Al received the Best First Class Fortified/Dessert Wine award. Cathay Pacific took the accolade for Best Business Class Red.

Qatar Airways and Air New Zealand were the winners of the Best-Presented First Class and Business Class Wine List awards respectively. Oneworld was once again named the Best Airline Alliance. A full list of winners is below.

Business Traveller contacted more than 75 airlines in summer 2013, and 28 entered. Blind tastings took place in London in December, with four judges independently scoring the wines. The judges were:

  • Charles Metcalfe, co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge and food and wine matching guru;
  • Peter McCombie, Master of Wine and top restaurant wine consultant;
  • Robert Joseph, author and wine critic;
  • Richard Bampfield, Master of Wine and wine consultant.

The airlines that took part were Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air France, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, El Al, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Eva Air, Finnair, Jetstar, KLM, Korean Air, LAN, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, TAM Airlines, TAP and US Airways.

Food was provided by Chamberlain’s.

Business Traveller‘s Cellars in the Sky Awards have been running since 1985.

For more information and images for publications, please contact Emma Gordon at [email protected] or tel +44 (0)20 7821 2741.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND SHORTLISTED AIRLINES

BEST FIRST CLASS RED

  • Gold Medal – Emirates – Clarendon Hills Shiraz 2005, McLaren Vale, Australia
  • Silver Medal – British Airways – Napanook 2007, Napa Valley, California
  • Bronze Medal – Emirates – Château Cos d’Estournel 2000, Saint-Estèphe, France

BEST FIRST CLASS WHITE

  • Gold Medal – Qantas – Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, 2009, Margaret River, Australia
  • Silver Medal – TAM Airlines – Dr Bürklin-Wolf Pechstein Grand Cru 2009, Pfalz, Germany
  • Bronze Medal (JOINT) – El-Al – Yarden Viognier 2011, Galilee, Golan Heights, Israel; Malaysia Airlines – Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2011, Mosel, Germany

BEST FIRST CLASS SPARKLING

  • Gold Medal – Qantas – Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, 2000, France
  • Silver Medal (JOINT) – Korean Air – Champagne Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rosé 1998, France; Singapore Airlines – Champagne Dom Pérignon 2004, France
  • Bronze Medal – American Airlines – Champagne Gosset Grande Réserve NV, France

BEST FIRST CLASS FORTIFIED/DESSERT

  • Gold Medal – El-Al – Yarden Heights Gewurztraminer Late Harvest 2011, Golan Heights, Galilee, Israel
  • Silver Medal – Qantas – Seppeltsfield Paramount Rare Tokay NV, Australia
  • Bronze Medal (JOINT) – All Nippon Airways – WJ Graham’s 30 Years Tawny Port, Portugal; TAM Airlines – Croft Late Bottled Vintage Port 2005, Portugal

BEST FIRST CLASS CELLAR

  • Gold Medal – Qantas
  • Silver Medal – All Nippon Airways
  • Bronze Medal – British Airways

BEST-PRESENTED FIRST CLASS WINE LIST

  • Gold Medal – Qatar Airways
  • Silver Medal – Qantas
  • Bronze Medal – Singapore Airlines

BEST BUSINESS CLASS RED

  • Gold Medal – Cathay Pacific – Murray Street White Label Barossa Shiraz, 2008, Australia
  • Silver Medal – Qantas – Best’s Great Western Bin One Shiraz, 2011, Victoria, Australia
  • Bronze Medal (JOINT) – Etihad Airways – Jim Barry, the Lodge Hill Shiraz, Clare Valley 2010, Australia; Finnair – Atteca Vieilles Vignes 2012, Calatayud, Spain

BEST BUSINESS CLASS WHITE

  • Gold Medal – Eva Air – Vincent Girardin Chassagne Montrachet Vieilles Vignes, 2010, Burgundy, France
  • Silver Medal – Cathay Pacific – Taylors Clare Valley Chardonnay 2009, Australia
  • Bronze Medal – Air Canada – Peter Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Marlborough, New Zealand

BEST BUSINESS CLASS SPARKLING

  • Gold Medal – Eva Air – Champagne Dom Pérignon, 2004, France
  • Silver Medal (JOINT) – All Nippon Airways, Qantas, Singapore Airlines – Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV, France; Emirates – Champagne Veuve Clicquot Vintage 2004, France
  • Bronze Medal – American Airlines – Champagne Moutard Vintage 2008, France

BEST BUSINESS CLASS FORTIFIED/DESSERT

  • Gold Medal – Emirates – Graham’s 20 Year-Old Tawny Port, Portugal
  • Silver Medal – Qantas – Lillypilly Noble Blend Family Reserve 2008, New South Wales, Australia
  • Bronze Medal – Austrian Airlines – Kracher Cuvée Beerenauslese 2010, Neusiedlersee, Austria

BEST BUSINESS CLASS CELLAR

  • Gold Medal – Qantas
  • Silver Medal – Etihad Airways
  • Bronze Medal – Cathay Pacific

BEST-PRESENTED BUSINESS CLASS WINE LIST

  • Gold Medal – Air New Zealand
  • Silver Medal – Qatar Airways
  • Bronze Medal – Finnair

BEST OVERALL WINE CELLAR

  • Gold Medal – Qantas
  • Silver Medal – Emirates
  • Bronze Medal (JOINT) – El-Al, Cathay Pacific

BEST AIRLINE ALLIANCE – Oneworld

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