Cellars in the Sky 2020: Best airline wines revealed

Now in its 35th year, Cellars in the Sky has been running since 1985, and celebrates the best business and first class wines served by airlines on their flights.

Last year was perhaps the most difficult on record for many airlines, but the wines served on board before the pandemic were judged by our panel and ranked for the annual awards.

The awards were dominated by Gulf carriers Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, which won a total of nine gold awards between them.

Qatar Airways scooped gold medals for Best First Class Red, Best First Class Cellar, Best Business Class Red and Best Business Class Fortified / Dessert Wine, as well as walking away with the top award for Best Overall Cellar.

Meanwhile Etihad Airways won gold medals in the Best First Class White, Best First Class Rosé, Best First Class Fortified / Dessert Wine and Best Business Class Rosé categories. The carrier also took home the largest number of awards overall, with four gold, five silver and two bronze.

Other notable gold medal winners included Cathay Pacific for Best First Class Sparkling, and, priving that size isn’t everything, Air Tahiti Nui, which won gold in the Best Business Class White, Best Business Class Sparkling, and Best Business Class Cellar categories.

The judges for the 2020 awards were: masters of wine Sarah Abbott, Tim Atkin and Peter McCombie, and head judge Charles Metcalfe, co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge.

The blind tastings took place with Metcalfe joining via Zoom, and the four judges independently scored the wines over the course of two days. For the first time in the competition’s history, each judge tasted every single entry individually. The circumstances may have changed, but the quality of wines and discussion amongst the judges was as animated as ever.

THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND SHORTLISTED AIRLINES

FIRST CLASS

BEST FIRST CLASS RED

Gold Medal: Qatar Airways – Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac, 2009, Bordeaux, France

Silver Medal: Cathay Pacific – Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 2, 2014, Yarra Valley, Australia

Bronze Medal: Oman Air – Wolf Blass Gold Label Cabernet Sauvignon, 2017, Coonawarra, Australia

BEST FIRST CLASS WHITE

Gold Medal: Etihad Airways – Tolpuddle Chardonnay 2015, Coal River Valley, Tasmania, Australia

Silver Medal: Etihad Airways – Grosset Springvale Riesling 2016, Clare Valley, Australia

Bronze Medal: Cathay Pacific – Soumah “Equilibrio” Single Vineyard Chardonnay, 2017, Yarra Valley, Australia

BEST FIRST CLASS ROSÉ

Gold Medal: Etihad Airways – Château Les Valentines 2018, Côtes de Provence, France

Silver Medal: American Airlines – E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rosé, 2019, Southern Rhone Valley, France

No bronze awarded

BEST FIRST CLASS SPARKLING

Gold Medal: Cathay Pacific – Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Rare 2002, France

Silver Medal: Qatar Airways – Champagne Krug, Vintage 2004, France

Bronze Medal (Joint): Oman Air; Etihad Airways – Champagne Charles Heidsieck, Blanc des Millénaires 2004, France

BEST FIRST CLASS FORTIFIED/DESSERT WINE

Gold Medal: Etihad Airways – Grahams Colheita 1986, Douro, Portugal

Silver Medal: Qatar Airways – Dow’s Colheita Single Year Tawny Port 1996, Douro, Portugal

Bronze Medal: Korean Air – Château Rieussec 2013, Sauternes, France

BEST-PRESENTED FIRST CLASS WINE LIST

Gold Medal: Japan Airlines

Highly Commended: Korean Air

BEST FIRST CLASS CELLAR

Gold Medal: Qatar Airways

Silver Medal: Cathay Pacific

Bronze Medal: Etihad Airways

BUSINESS CLASS

BEST BUSINESS CLASS RED

Gold Medal: Qatar Airways – Vina Leyda Lot 8 Syrah 2013, Leyda Valley, Chile

Silver Medal: Etihad Airways – Domaine Terlato and Chapoutier Lieu-dit Malako  Shiraz, 2015, Pyrenees, Victoria, Australia

Bronze Medal: British Airways – Château Malescasse Le Moulin Rose de Malescasse Haut- Médoc 2016, Bordeaux, France

BEST BUSINESS CLASS WHITE

Gold Medal: Air Tahiti Nui – Grosset Springvale Riesling 2018, Clare Valley, Australia

Silver Medal: EVA Air – Château La Louvière Pessac-Léognan, 2009, Bordeaux, France

Bronze Medal: EVA Air – Dr Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, 2016, Mosel, Germany

Highly Commended: British Airways – Spy Valley Sustainably Crafted Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Marlborough, New Zealand

BEST BUSINESS CLASS ROSÉ

Gold Medal: Etihad Airways – Château Minuty “M de Minuty” Rosé 2019, Côtes de Provence, France

Silver Medal: Japan Airlines – M. Chapoutier Domaine Tournon “Mathilda” Rosé, 2018, Victoria, Australia

Bronze Medal: Jetblue – Lorenza Rosé, 2018, California, US

BEST BUSINESS CLASS SPARKLING

Gold Medal: Air Tahiti Nui – Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV, France

Silver Medal (Joint): Oman Air; Etihad Airways – Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Brut NV, France

Bronze Medal (Joint): EVA Air – Champagne Castelnau Millésime Brut 2006, France;  Qatar Airways – Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millésime 2006, France

BEST BUSINESS CLASS FORTIFIED/DESSERT WINE

Gold Medal: Qatar Airways – Sensi Vin Santo del Chianti 2009, Tuscany, Italy

Silver Medal: Etihad Airways – Dow’s Colheita 2002, Douro, Portugal

Bronze Medal: Oman Air – Château Suau, Sauternes, 2ème Cru Classé, 2016, Bordeaux, France

BEST BUSINESS CLASS CELLAR

Gold Medal: Air Tahiti Nui

Silver Medal: Qatar Airways

Bronze Medal: Oman Air

BEST-PRESENTED BUSINESS CLASS WINE LIST

Gold Medal: EVA Air

Highly Commended: Air Tahiti Nui

OVERALL AWARDS

BEST OVERALL CELLAR

Gold Medal: Qatar Airways

Silver Medal: Etihad Airways

Bronze Medal: Oman Air