A panel of wine experts were asked to blind taste 21 economy class wines served on board the major European carriers, and score each a mark out of 10.
Thomson Airways was voted as offering the best red wine – Finca La Linda, Cabernet Sauvignon 2011. It was a clear winner among the judges with SAS five points behind in second and Turkey’s leading budget carrier Pegasus Airlines taking third place.
The competition in the white wine category was more closely fought, with judges agreeing that the overall quality of the white wines was particularly high. Lufthansa just edged out KLM and easyJet, with four points separating the top three wines.
Last year’s winners easyjet (white) and BA (red) have both released a new range of on-board wines this year. And it was the white wines from both airlines which performed well with the judges this year, both making the top five.
KLM and Pegasus were the most consistent performers, featuring in the top five white and red wines. KLM now holds the distinction of being the only airline to appear in the top five for each category for two years in a row.
Tom Cannavan, wine expert and writer of the wine pages, commented after the event; “All the judges were agreed that the white wines on offer by the leading airlines were of a consistently high quality. While the reds were a little more up and down, overall I was impressed by the standard of wines being offered in-flight. The results just go to show that if airlines choose carefully, they can find good quality, tasty wines for their customers in the sky.”
“Lufthansa is clearly showcasing some of the best of German wine-making with a really punchy Riesling, while Thomson’s customers should see their holiday start on a high note with such a high quality wine on offer from a good Argentine producer. Good on Thomson for putting such a nice wine in front of its customers.”
“My tip for air travellers is to always take a chance on perhaps a wine you’ve not heard of before and try something new. As our judging shows, you can’t go far wrong with the quality currently being offered on board.”
The tasting panel was made up of 12 wine experts and international travellers led by renowned wine expert Tom Cannavan and including Stuart Fyfe, Head Sommelier at the Hotel Du Vin, Edinburgh, Claire Blackler, founder of the Case Studies Wine School and Denise Medrano – The Winesleuth.
The highest scoring wines in each category are as follows:
| White wine | Red wine | ||||
| Ranking | Airline | Details | Ranking | Airline | Details |
| 1 | Lufthansa | Peter & Peter Riesling, Mosel, Germany | 1 | Thomson | Finca La Linda, Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 |
| 2 | KLM | Terra Andina Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay (Chile) 2012 | 2 | SAS | Backhouse Pinot Noir, USA, 2011 |
| 3 | easyJet | Louis Mondeville, Sauvignon Blanc, Pays d’Oc, 2011) | 3 | Pegasus | Kavaklidere Angora, 2011 |
| 4 | Pegasus | Kavaklidere Cankaya 2011 | 4 | BMI | Grand Sud, Merlot |
| 5 | BA & Iberia | Val de los Frailes, Bodegas Matarromera Verdejo 2011 | 5 | KLM | Terra Andina Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot (Chile) 2011 |
