Emirates’ won big at the Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky 2019 Awards, which was held in London this week. The airline picked up multiple awards including 2 Gold awards, 2 Silver awards and a Bronze award for its carefully curated wine lists.
The Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky Awards recognise the best wines served in first and business class on board airlines around the world.
The winning wines represent Emirates’ varied offering which comes from 12 of the main wine-producing regions including France, Australia, South Africa and Portugal. According to Emirates, their wine strategy is to purchase exceptional wines at the earliest opportunity and let them mature to allow them to express their full potential before serving them onboard its aircraft.
Emirates’ wine cellar, located in France, is believed to be the largest of any airline. It currently holds 7.4 million bottles of fine wine, some of which will only be ready to be served board from 2037.
Emirates also recently launched its new set of wines for the Emirates Vintage Collection, a selection of the finest bottles from its cellar in France. These exceptional wines are exclusively served in First Class on selected flights and for a limited period.
Emirates was awarded a Bronze award in the First Class Fizz category for Dom Pérignon Plénitude 2, 2002. Dom Pérignon has been a mainstay in its First Class wine lists for over 28 years and Emirates is the number one global partner of the Maison. Over the years, Emirates has served several Dom Pérignon vintages, some made available to Emirates as global airline exclusives.
Emirates continues its longstanding relationship with South Africa’s top local wine producers. Since 2005, the airline has partnered with 25 South African wineries, of which 50 different wines have been enjoyed by global travellers onboard Emirates flights. Some of the South African wineries served onboard include Ken Forrester, Porseleinberg, Waterkloof and Boekenhoutskloof, to mention a few.
The awards include:
Gold
Business Class Fortified - Dow's Colheita Port, 1992, Douro Valley, Portugal
First Class Fortified - Vin de Constance Klein Constantia 2013, Constantia, Cape Town, South Africa
Silver
Business Class Rosé - Whispering Angel 2018, Côtes de Provence, France
First Class Red - Les Forts de Latour, 2005, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Bronze
First Class Fizz - Dom Pérignon Vintage 2002 – Plénitude 2, Champagne, France