Delta Air Lines has unveiled its 2017 Premium Wine selections, available to Delta One customers flying between London Heathrow and the US.
The vintages will appear on a rotating seasonal basis, with two different reds and whites available every three months. From June to August, one white will be substituted for a French rosé on flights to US destinations from Heathrow.
Handpicked by the airline’s master sommelier Andrea Robinson, the first class selection includes Alphonse Mellot “la Moussière” Sancerre and Sokol-Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir, while business class passengers will also be offered Charles Heidsieck Brut champagne as well as dessert wine or port following the main meal service. A previous selection by the airline – Cálem 10 Year Old Tawny – was recently awarded a silver medal at the annual Business Traveller’s Cellars in the Sky awards.
“I always look forward to hand-selecting the Delta One wine line up, and this year was no exception,” said Robinson.
“Delta’s unique wine programme provides an opportunity to offer a variety of regionally-sourced wines, including small, emerging and family-owned wineries, onboard to its customers. Each menu includes a rich diversity of regional origin, with wines that pair well with the flavours and cooking styles of the season.”
Each wine has been chosen to pair with the airline’s rotating food menus. This spring, the airline will offer pan fried cod with cumin sauce, dhal makhani and saffron rice. Wines set to appear on menus over the next year have been sourced from France, New Zealand, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the US.
Robinson samples 1,600 different wines for the Delta menus each year. The airline says that passengers consume 2.5 million bottles of wine, champagne and port every year.
