Singapore Airlines has long been known as one of the world's top international airlines for customer service and amenities, and given the fact that they fly some of the world's longest flights, it's only appropriate that they offer the best. The recently announced Wines on the Wing Awards have bolstered Singapore's position as the best airline for those who love the fermented grape juice.
At this year's awards, Singapore swept every major category, including: Best International First Class Wines, Best International Business Class Wines, Best International First Class Champagnes (tied with British Airways), and Best International Business Class Champagnes.
For the Wines on the Wing Awards, airlines were required to submit five beverages - two white wines, two red wines and one sparkling wine/champagne.
Singapore Airlines conducts wine tastings twice a year in Singapore, and their selected offerings are chosen by three renowned wine experts. Up to 1,000 bottles of wine, champagne and port are sampled from in a blind tasting (meaning no preference is given to a certain brand just because of its name or status). First Class wine offerings are secured at least ten years in advance, while economy class varietals are purchased at least four years ahead of time.
When judging a wine, particular attention is paid to the appearance, smell, and (of course) the taste. Once the experts choose their top picks, Singapore Airlines then reserves purchase rights for those varieties. The airline says they serve over 5,700 bottles of wine a day across all classes.
Flight attendants who serve the wines are also taught about each variety, including its origin, unique characteristics, and ideal food pairings.
Here in the U.S., American and Delta were ranked among the top five for international First Class wines and champagnes, respectively.
Singapore's First Class champagne list includes two of the most highly-ranked and popular champagnes in the world: Dom Perignon 2006, and Krug Grand Cuvee. Other current First Class offerings include Kevin Judd's Greywacke sauvignon blanc, Château Cos d'Estournel 2004 and Clonakilla shiraz.
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Singapore also won Best Overall Wine Cellar at the 2016 Business Traveller "Cellars in the Sky" Awards. Other Business Class offerings on Singapore include Taittinger Brut Millésime 2007, Domaine Laroche Chablis and Taylor's Ten Year Old Tawny Port.
In the Cellars in the Sky awards, Qatar Airways took silver and Korean Air tied Qantas for bronze. Qantas' offerings are impressive, as they offer free tastings on every flight, even in economy, through their Sommelier in the Sky program. Qantas is the Australia's third largest wine buyer of native wines.
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