Awards

Cellars in the Sky 2017

19 Feb 2018 by Mark Caswell

The Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky 2017 Awards, which recognise the best business and first class wines served by airlines worldwide in the last year, were presented on Monday February 19 at Trinity House near Tower Hill, London, by Charles Metcalfe, co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge.

Singapore Airlines was the evening’s biggest winner, taking the coveted Gold Medal for Best Overall Cellar, as well as the top spots in the Best Business Class White and Best Business Class Cellar categories.

Qantas also walked away with three Gold medals for Best First Class White, Best First Class Cellar and Best Business Class Fortified/Dessert.

Winning joint Gold for Best First Class Sparkling were Air France, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines and Qantas, as they all serve the same winning Champagne. The Gold Medal for Best Presented First Class Wine List went to All Nippon Airways, who also scooped the prize for Best Presented Business Class Wine List.

Oman Air received the Gold Medal for Best First Class Red, while Korean Air won Best Business Class Red and Air France grabbed Best First Class Fortified/Dessert Wine. Oneworld was once again named Best Airline Alliance.

Business Traveller contacted more than 75 airlines in summer 2017, and 32 entered. Blind tastings took place at the Hilton London Tower Bridge in December, with four judges independently scoring the wines. Along with Metcalfe, the judges were: Tim Atkin MW, Sarah Abbott MW and Peter McCombie MW, co-chairpeople of the International Wine Challenge.

Participating airlines were: Aegean, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Air Canada, Air France, Alitalia, American Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Finnair, Iberia, Icelandair, Japan Airlines, JetBlue, Jetstar, KLM, Korean Air, LATAM, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Sri Lankan, Tarom, United and Virgin Atlantic.

Cellars in the Sky was in its 32nd year in 2017, having been running since 1985. For more information and images for publications please contact Kirsty Clark at [email protected] or tel +44 (0)20 7821 2700.

For information on previous award winners, visit businesstraveller.com/awards/cellars-in-the-sky-awards/

FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND SHORTLISTED AIRLINES

FIRST CLASS

BEST FIRST CLASS RED

Gold Medal: Oman Air – M Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie les Bécasses 2014, Rhône, France
Silver Medal: American Airlines – Catena Zapata Angélica-Zapata Alta Malbec 2013, Mendoza, Argentina
Bronze Medal (joint): Air France – Domaine de Chevalier 2010, Pessac Léognan, Bordeaux, France; Korean Air – Château du Tertre 2007, Margaux, Bordeaux, France

BEST FIRST CLASS WHITE

Gold Medal: Qantas – Penfolds Reserve Bin 15A Chardonnay 2015, Adelaide Hills, Australia
Silver Medal: Air France – Joseph Drouhin Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Embrazées 2014, Burgundy, France
Bronze Medal: Qantas – Flametree SRS Wallcliffe Chardonnay 2016, Margaret River, Australia
Highly Commended: Malaysia Airlines – Domaine Trouillet Pouilly-Fuissé Aux Chailloux 2014, Burgundy, France; Singapore Airlines – Dalrymple Cave Block Chardonnay, 2014, Pipers River, Australia

BEST FIRST CLASS SPARKLING

Gold Medal (joint): Air France, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas – Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2006, France
Silver Medal: American Airlines – Champagne Philipponnat Clos Des Goisses Brut 2007, France
Bronze Medal (joint): Qatar Airways – Champagne Krug Grande Cuvée Brut NV, France; Oman Air – Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal 2009, France

BEST FIRST CLASS FORTIFIED/DESSERT WINE

Gold Medal: Air France – Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2009, Sauternes, France
Silver Medal: Qatar Airways – Gran Cruz Colheita 1992 Port, Portugal
Bronze Medal: Qantas – Seppeltsfield Paramount Rare Tokay, Barossa Valley, Australia

BEST-PRESENTED FIRST CLASS WINE LIST

Gold Medal: All Nippon Airways
Silver Medal: Japan Airlines
Bronze Medal: Qatar Airways

BEST FIRST CLASS CELLAR

Gold Medal: Qantas
Silver Medal: Air France
Bronze Medal: Oman Air

BUSINESS CLASS

BEST BUSINESS CLASS RED

Gold Medal: Korean Air – Haselgrove Catkin Shiraz 2014, McLaren Vale, South Australia
Silver Medal: American Airlines – Paul Jaboulet Ainé Les Jalets Crozes-Hermitage 2014, France
Bronze Medal: Singapore Airlines – Dandelion “Lioness of McLaren Vale” 2015, South Australia

BEST BUSINESS CLASS WHITE

Gold Medal: Singapore Airlines – Coldstream Hills Chardonnay 2015, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
Silver Medal: Jetstar – Mud House Woolshed Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Marlborough, New Zealand
Bronze Medal: Icelandair – Petit Clos de Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Marlborough, New Zealand

BEST BUSINESS CLASS SPARKLING

Gold Medal: EVA Air – Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs NV, France
Silver Medal (joint): Air France, Singapore Airlines – Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV, France
Bronze Medal: British Airways – Champagne de Castelnau Brut Réserve NV, France
Highly Commended: Sri Lankan Airlines – Champagne Piper Heidsieck Cuvée Brut NV, France

BEST BUSINESS CLASS FORTIFIED/DESSERT WINE

Gold Medal: Qantas – Baileys of Glenrowan Founder Series Classic Muscat, Victoria, Australia
Silver Medal: Jetstar – De Bortoli Show Liqueur Muscat, Riverina, Australia
Bronze Medal (joint): Aeroflot – Grahams 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal; Singapore Airlines – Taylors 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal

BEST BUSINESS CLASS CELLAR