Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air recently presented its latest selection of 50 newly-selected inflight wines, which will be served onboard all flights from March next year. The wines included 19 for First Class, 21 for Prestige Class, and 10 for Economy Class selections, all of which were selected by the world’s best sommelier during a blind tasting.
A collaboration with the best
The new inflight wines were selected in collaboration with Marc Almert, deemed the ‘World’s Best Sommelier 2019’ by the International Sommelier Association. Korean Air also referenced last year’s collection of wine data, which included approximately 900 wines in various categories. Together with Almert, the flag carrier shortlisted the collection to nearly 150 wines from several grape varieties, vintages, and countries, including Australia, France, Spain, and the USA.
Out of the shortlisted 150 wines, Almert, alongside another wine expert Sang Jun Lee, blind-tasted and evaluated every single glass. When considering the choices for new inflight wines, the sommeliers thought of the cabin environment during the flight and the pairing of the wines with inflight meals. Almert commented:
“It was a huge task to select the wines from so many fine options on the long list. The cabin pressure and a drier environment can distort the taste of some wines. We considered this and chose fruity and aromatic wines that perfectly complement the inflight cuisine.”
Photo: Korean Air
The sparklings, reds, and whites
Although it was a tedious process, the results from the shortlisted 150 wines were the 50 new wines that Korean Air would be incorporating into its menus next year. One of the newly selected wines for First Class is an Australian Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz, a concentrated wine produced from 100% Shiraz grapes with the aroma of rich pepper, mint, and eucalyptus. The intense flavor allows for a luxurious harmony with the airline’s inflight meal options, such as steak and Korean cuisine.
As for champagne, Korean Air emphasized the Henri Giraud Ay Grand Cru Brut Multi Vintage, which features silky softness and rich bubbles. Then for Prestige Class, among the high-quality wines selected was the La Perriere Megalithe Sancerre, a white wine from the Loire Valley. The wine is made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, harvested by hand, with half aged in oak barrels for over six months. The taste features the unique fresh acidity of Sauvignon Blanc, soft and subtle with the aftertaste of oak-aged wine.
An entirely new for Korean Air’s inflight service history is Nik Weis Urban Riesling, produced in Moselle, Germany. The wine will be served in Korean Air’s Economy Class. Almert and Sang evaluated that the Riesling’s refreshing scent and mild flavor would harmonize well with inflight meals, which feature plenty of Korean food, including spicy pork and marinated slices of beef.
Bottom line
Korean Air has always been well-awarded for its inflight dining experiences. The SkyTeam alliance member airline is looking towards another revamp as it always aims to provide unique, high-quality passenger experiences. Besides new inflight wines, Korean Air will also be rolling out new inflight meal options from March next year.
Some changes have already been recently commenced, such as serving new Korean cuisine choices like spicy pork lettuce wraps and braise mackerel. Once Korean Air finalizes supply contracts with the wineries and finalizes the procedures for its new inflight menu, the flag carrier’s revamping of its inflight dining experience will be complete.