Category: Events

The 2018 Cellars in the Sky Awards

The Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky 2018 Awards, which recognize the best business and first-class wines served by airlines worldwide for 2018, were presented on Monday, February 18 at The Langham, London, by Charles Metcalfe, co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge.

Qantas was the evening’s biggest winner, taking the coveted Gold Medal for Best Overall Cellar, as well as the top spots in the Best First-Class White, Best First Class Sparkling (jointly with Air France and Cathay Pacific), Best First-Class Cellar, Best-Presented First-Class Wine List, and Best Business Class Fortified / Dessert Wine categories.

Cathay Pacific won two Gold Medals for Best First Class Sparkling (jointly with Air France and Qantas) and Best Business Class Red, while Malaysia Airlines took the top spot in the Best First-Class Red category, ANA won the award for Best First Class Fortified / Dessert Wine, and Qatar Airways took the top spot in the Best Business Class Sparkling category.
Oneworld was named Best Airline Alliance, while one of its member carriers British Airways took the Gold Medal for Best Business Class Cellar.

And a special note to US low-cost carrier Jetblue, which won a Gold Medal in the Cellars in the Sky competition for the first time, taking the top spot in the Best Business Class White category.

Business Traveller contacted airlines in summer 2018, and 33 entered.
Blind tastings of 240 bottles took place at London’s Grosvenor Hotel, Victoria, in December, with the four judges independently scoring the wines over the course of two days.

Participating airlines were: Aegean, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aircalin, Air Canada, Air France, Air Italy, Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui, American Airlines, All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cathay Dragon, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, EVA Air, Finnair, Garuda Indonesia, Iberia, Icelandair, Japan Airlines, Jet Blue, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Sri Lankan Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, and Virgin Atlantic.

LIST OF WINNERS AND SHORTLISTED AIRLINES

FIRST CLASS
BEST FIRST-CLASS RED

• Gold Medal: Malaysia Airlines – Joseph Drouhin Côte de Beaune 2015, Burgundy, France

• Silver Medal: American Airlines – Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2016, Sonoma County, US

• Bronze Medal (joint): ANA – Château Léoville Barton 2012, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France; Qatar Airways – Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2009, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

BEST FIRST-CLASS WHITE

• Gold Medal: Qantas – Penfolds Reserve Bin 15A Chardonnay 2015, Adelaide Hills, Australia

• Silver Medal: Qantas – Flametree SRS Wallcliffe Chardonnay 2016, Margaret River, Australia

• Bronze Medal (joint): Cathay Dragon – Lamblin and Fils Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaumes, 2016, France; Malaysia Airlines – Palliser Estate Chardonnay 2016, Martinborough, New Zealand

BEST FIRST-CLASS SPARKLING

• Gold Medal (joint): Air France, Cathay Pacific, Qantas –Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2006, Franc

• Silver Medal (joint): ANA, Qatar Airways – Champagne Krug 2004, France; Singapore Airlines – Dom Pérignon 2006, Champagne, France

• Bronze Medal: Oman Air –Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal, Brut, 2009, France

BEST FIRST-CLASS FORTIFIED/DESSERT WINE

• Gold Medal: ANA – Barbeito Madeira Malvasia 20 year old, Portugal

• Silver Medal: Cathay Pacific – Warre’s Otima Single Year Tawny Colheita Port 2006, Portugal

• Bronze Medal: Qantas – Morris of Rutherglen Wines Old Premium Rare Liqueur Muscat, Australia

BEST-PRESENTED FIRST-CLASS WINE LIST

• Gold Medal: Qantas
• Highly Commended: ANA

BEST FIRST-CLASS CELLAR

• Gold Medal: Qantas
• Silver Medal: ANA
• Bronze Medal: Cathay Pacific

BUSINESS CLASS
BEST BUSINESS CLASS RED

• Gold Medal: Cathay Pacific – Elderton Shiraz 2015, Barossa Valley, Australia

• Silver Medal: Air New Zealand – Lowburn Ferry Home Block Pinot Noir 2014, Central Otago, New Zealand

• Bronze Medal: Air Italy – Olianas Perdixi 2016, Gergei, Sardinia, Italy

BEST BUSINESS CLASS WHITE

• Gold Medal: Jetblue – Sandhi Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2015, California, US

• Silver Medal: Aer Lingus – De Bortoli La Bohème Act One Riesling, 2016, Yarra Valley, Australia

• Bronze Medal: Oman Air – Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Montagu 2016, France

BEST BUSINESS CLASS SPARKLING

• Gold Medal: Qatar Airways – Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs 2006, France

• Silver Medal: EVA Air – Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2007, Champagne, France

• Bronze Medal: Malaysia Airlines – Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs 2007, France

BEST BUSINESS CLASS FORTIFIED/ DESSERT WINE

• Gold Medal: Qantas – Baileys of Glenrowan Founder Series Classic Muscat, Victoria, Australia

• Silver Medal: Air New Zealand – Forrest Botrytised Riesling 2016, Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand

• Bronze Medal (joint): Oman Air – Château Guiraud 1er Grand Cru Classé
en 1855, 2014, Sauternes-Barsac, France; Aeroflot – Grahams 10-Year-Old Tawny Port, NV, Porto Duro, Portugal

BEST BUSINESS CLASS CELLAR

• Gold Medal: British Airways
• Silver Medal: Qatar Airways
• Bronze Medal: Jetblue

BEST-PRESENTED BUSINESS CLASS WINE LIST

• Gold Medal: EVA Air

OVERALL AWARDS
BEST AIRLINE ALLIANCE

• Oneworld

BEST OVERALL CELLAR

• Gold Medal: Qantas
• Silver Medal: Cathay Pacific
• Bronze Medal: ANA, Qatar Airways
• Highly Commended: American Airlines

Australia’s Orlando Marzo Named World’s Best Bartender

Orlando Marzo, from Melbourne’s acclaimed Lûmé restaurant, has been named

Orlando Marzo, from Melbourne’s acclaimed Lûmé restaurant, has been named the world’s best bartender by the largest global bartending competition, WORLD CLASS Global Bartender of the Year 2018.

Orlando competed against over 10,000 bartenders from every corner of the globe.  The competition lasted six months, with over one hundred challenges and countless cocktails. It culminated in a four-day final, where 56 of the best bartenders in the industry battled it out in Berlin.

“Shaking it all the way to the top” was no mean feat for this bartender, his winning cocktails truly blew the judges away. Diageo Global Cocktailian and WORLD CLASS judge, Lauren Mote, said: “All the finalists brought their A game, but Orlando really was on another level. The Zacapa aperitif he made for the ‘Before and After’ challenge was one of the best I’ve ever tasted and the way he held his nerve in the ‘Cocktail Clash’ finale – for me, that’s the mark of a truly WORLD CLASS bartender.”

The standard this year was truly exceptional, but Orlando stood out as the best of the best. Armed with Diageo’s award-winning Reserve brands, he blew the judges away, taking sustainable bartending further than ever before in the Ketel One ‘Better Drinking’ challenge, and reigning supreme in the ‘Flavours of a Nation’ round with his innovative twist on the classic Johnnie Walker Black Label Highball. To seal the deal, he went head-to-head with his fellow competitors in the ‘Cocktail Clash’ Grand Finale and brought the house down with one show-stopping creation after another.

Orlando has an incredible year ahead of him – he will have the chance to travel the world as a Diageo representative, making bespoke drinks in exotic and far-flung locations and judging competitions. He will also join a roll call of the industry’s finest, becoming the 10th member of the WORLD CLASS Hall of Fame.

“I can’t believe it!” said Orlando. “Just being here, competing alongside the best bartenders in the world, judged by some of the most iconic names in the business was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but to actually win? I’m still in shock. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my amazing team back home – they’ve cheered me on every step of the way!”

Here is where you can find winning recipes from this year’s finalists:

http://www.theworldclassclub.com

Results of 2018 Airline Wine Competition

Global Traveler, the only AAM-audited magazine for luxury business and leisure

Global Traveler, the only AAM-audited magazine for luxury business and leisure travelers, has released the results of its 15th annual Wines on the Wing Airline Wine Competition.

The competition, held at the end of May, took place at The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, in New York City. Expert judges participated in the blind tasting of 22 airlines’ white, red and sparkling wines. The judges hailed from a wide range of specialties, including sommeliers, wine shop owners and winemakers. In total, 18 Champagnes/sparkling wines, 39 white wines and 39 red wines were tasted.

Airlines are required to submit five different wines — two red wines, two white wines and one sparkling wine/Champagne — to be eligible for the overall Best International Business-Class Wines on the Wing award or the Best International First-Class Wines on the Wing award. This year, the winner for Best International Business-Class Wines on the Wing was Delta Air Lines, and the winner for Best International First-Class Wines on the Wing was All Nippon Airways.

In the white wine category, Best International Business-Class White Wine was La Capra Chenin Blanc 2016, South Africa, submitted by Aeroflot. For first class, the winner was EL AL Israel Airlines with Yatir Winery Viognier 2015, Israel.

The best business-class Champagne was American Airlines’ Lanson Black Label Brut, NV. The best first-class Champagne was All Nippon Airways’ Krug Brut Champagne 2004.

When it came to red wine, American Airlines reigned supreme in the first-class category with Valduero Reserva 2012, Ribera del Duero, and United Airlines took the No. 1 business-class spot with Les Graviéres du Roy Sauvion 2016, France.

For the 10th consecutive year, Global Traveler awarded the Best North American Wines on the Wing. North American airlines submitted first-class and business-class wine samples, depending on their domestic flight offerings.

American Airlines was named Best North American First-Class/Business-Class Wines on the Wing, and also won for its red wine, Raymond Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Reserve Selection, Napa Valley, California, and its white wine, Joseph Drouhin Pouilly-Vinzelles 2015, Mâcon, France. JetBlue’s Raventós de Nit Brut 2015, Spain, won Best North American Champagne/Sparkling Wine.

For the seventh year, Global Traveler awarded the Best Alliance Wines on the Wing. The participating airlines were divided by airline alliance. The overall points for each airline were tallied and averaged to determine the alliance with the highest total. Congratulations to oneworld, represented by American Airlines, LATAM and British Airways.

Competition director Eunice Fried spent months preparing for the blind tasting. Fried, an accomplished wine journalist and respected wine expert, resides in New York City.

Global Traveler is the only U.S.-based publication to conduct such a survey in the United States.

The top airlines in each category are:

BEST INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS-CLASS WINES ON THE WING
1. Delta Air Lines
2. United Airlines
3. All Nippon Airways
4. Brussels Airlines
5. British Airways

BEST INTERNATIONAL FIRST-CLASS WINES ON THE WING
1. All Nippon Airways
2. British Airways
3. American Airlines
4. United Airlines

BEST CHAMPAGNE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS
1. American Airlines
2. Aeroflot
3. All Nippon Airways
4. United Airlines
5. Brussels Airlines

BEST CHAMPAGNE INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS
1. All Nippon Airways
2. American Airlines
3. British Airways

BEST WHITE WINE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS
1. Aeroflot
2. British Airways
3. British Airways
4. Delta Air Lines
5. Brussels Airlines

BEST WHITE WINE INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS
1. EL AL Israel Airlines
2. British Airways
3. All Nippon Airways
4. American Airlines
5. British Airways

BEST RED WINE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS
1. United Airlines
2. Brussels Airlines
3. Alitalia
4. Alitalia
5. American Airlines

BEST RED WINE INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS
1. American Airlines
2. All Nippon Airways
3. British Airways/United Airlines (TIE)
4. United Airlines
5. EL AL Israel Airlines

BEST NORTH AMERICAN WINES ON THE WING
1. American Airlines
2. Delta Air Lines
3. United Airlines
4. JetBlue

BEST NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPAGNE/SPARKLING WINE
1. JetBlue
2. Delta Air Lines/United Airlines (TIE)
3. American Airlines

BEST NORTH AMERICAN RED WINE
1. American Airlines
2. American Airlines
3. Delta Air Lines
4. United Airlines
5. United Airlines

BEST NORTH AMERICAN WHITE WINE
1. American Airlines
2. American Airlines
3. JetBlue
4. United Airlines
5. Delta Airlines

BEST ALLIANCE WINES ON THE WING
1. oneworld
2. SkyTeam
3. Star Alliance

 

Global Traveler: http://www.globaltravelerusa.com/wines-on-the-wing-2018/

George Brown College Inaugural Wine Symposium – June 25

This year’s theme will focus on the Business of Wine in the new Global Economy

This year’s theme will focus on The Business of Wine in the new Global Economy: An exploration of trends in the World of Wine.

On June 25th, George Brown College’s Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts brings together a renowned group of wine industry leaders for an in-depth look at The Business of Wine in the new Global Economy.

In the College’s inaugural Wine Symposium, wine writers, authors, winemakers, winery owners, restaurateurs, sommeliers, agents, enthusiasts, and students will gather for an interactive day filled with discussions, workshops, tastings, and presentations.

Speakers will take an insightful look at subjects such as innovation in the wine business, the modern-day vineyard and the digital impact on the industry. Breakout sessions offer guests master tastings lead by top sommeliers and thought-provoking discussions from the world of wine.

Keynote speaker Dr. George Soleas, President of the LCBO.  Other presenters and panel discussion experts: Darryl Brooker, General Manager of Mission Hill Family Estate in British Columbia, Toronto-based Master Sommelier Jennifer Huether, and Global Wine Educator Marnie Old from Philadelphia, Liz Palmer, award-winning author and Global Wine Influencer.

When:   Monday, June 25, 2018
Where: Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts, George Brown College

 300 Adelaide Street East, Toronto
Time:    8:00am-6:30pm
Price:    $175 + HST ($75 for full-time students)

Website: gbcsymposiums.ca

 

Pre-conference tours:
Saturday June 23, 2018: Prince Edward County
Sunday June 24, 2018: Niagara

 

Champagne Event with The International Wine and Food Society-Oakville

It was a culinary evening of magic, from the moment I arrived at the private home in Oakville, I knew that a night of elegance and celebration was ahead!

It was an honour and privilege to participate in this event as the “Special Guest” speaker, to discuss my book “The Ultimate Guide to Champagne” and personally sign 40+ copies.

The event was well-organized by Christian Frayssignes, Dale and Jim Egan and catered by Kerr St. Café, Oakville.

60 members and guests had the opportunity to taste six champagnes, personally selected by cellar master Christian Frayssignes and Liz Palmer to pair with specially designed and prepared by Kerr St. Café, Oakville, while listening to jazz and blues tunes by pianist Rob Roland.

Champagne and Food Pairings

Lacroix-Triaulaire NV Brut

Brie & peach crostini with Roquefort & field honey

Fresh watermelon cube with elderflower,
apple-cucumber slaw & candied ginger

J. de Telmont Grande Reserve Brut NV

Tuna poke with herbed russet chips and
fresh parsley vegetable spring roll

Henriet-Bazin Selection de Parcelles ler Cru

Mini chicken parmesan lollipops with marinara dipping sauce

J. de Telmont Blanc de Blanc 2010

Lobster petit-fours…. butter poached lobster set on
roasted potato cubes with avocado puree & tarragon

Delouvin-Bagnost NV 70% Pinot Meunier

Rare thinly sliced grilled beef tenderloin swirled on mini Yorkshire
puddings with horseradish cream & pomegranate

Jean Pernet N.V.

Homemade macaroons

My favorite pairing for the evening was J. de Telmont Blanc de Blanc 2010 with Lobster petit-fours/butter poached lobster set on roasted potato cubes with avocado puree & tarragon.

I want to thank The International Wine and Food Society-Oakville for an extraordinary evening and in particular President, Christian Frayssignes and hosts Dale and Jim Egan.

And a special thank you to Esprit du Vin, Tod Warner and Kathryn Taggart Braneff!

Liz Palmer

“Dame Chevalier” of the Ordre de Coteaux de Champagne

Author of “The Ultimate Guide to Champagne”

The International Food and Wine Society – Oakville:  https://www.iwfs.org/americas/oakville

Liz Palmer – www.liz-palmer.com