I’ve done my share of bitching about plonk served by the airlines. So, it’s only fair that I give praise when praise is due.
I was on the American Airlines flight from Chicago to Paris last night. The business class wine selections included the 2006 Landmark Outlook Chardonnay and the 2003 Chateau Batailley. Both were quite good. The Batailley was a notch better than the Landmark and the one that I was most surprised to see being offered.
Evidently, I was’nt the only flyer liking the Batailley. They blew through 6 bottles of it (all that had been stocked for the flight) and then started opening 2003 Lynch-Moussas, which was not in the same league.
We’ve all had plonk on airlines. What are some of the good wines that you’ve been fortunate enough to come across (not ones that you brought on in you carry-on – pre TSA liquid ban)?
Recently in Swissair business class for a flight from Boston to Zurich they offered all Swiss wines, I can’t remember the producers but I tasted both the white and red. They were nothing crazy but I appreciated the opportunity to taste their local wines. Both were typical of wines made in colder climates. The white had high acidity and was bright, the red fruity and fairly light in alcohol and body.
AA serves quaffable to decent wines in biz class and first class on transcons and international flights. Label snobs won’t find anything interesting. Sometimes there is a Chateau Cantermerle and in the OP’s case, Chateau Batailley.
Cathay Pacific puts out some top label alcohol in their first class on transpacific flights.