Wines that soar: Enjoy top Burgundies on your next Singapore Airlines flight

Singapore Airlines' chief steward and air sommelier Wong Chek Leng is looking forwards to serving passengers a white Premier Cru Meursault from Benjamin Leroux. "The Meursault is a complex, textured vino with a sensational depth of flavour," he said. "I would pair this with a salad of jumbo crab and mango, which is featured as an appetiser on some of our routes. Alternatively, it makes a corking aperitif on its own."

Benjamin Leroux is a name that would register with oenophiles. Since launching its outset vintage in 2007, the small producer, run past its eponymous winemaker, has been a ascension star in Burgundy, making expressive wines from Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites. Leroux is 1 of the many Burgundy labels that Singapore Airlines has introduced to its new vino selection for premium class passengers. The new choice was launched on selected routes in March.

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For the new selection of wines, Singapore Airlines' vino consultants – Michael Hill-Smith, Commonwealth of australia's first Master of Vino; Jeannie Cho Lee, the commencement Asian Master of Wine; and Oz Clarke, a renowned wine author and tv presenter – took a new sourcing arroyo.

"Traditionally, [wine] option is washed by tender, with suppliers submitting their wines for blind-tasting by the wine consultants," said Betty Wong, Singapore Airlines' divisional vice president of inflight services and design. "The new approach sees the consultants visit vineyards and wineries beyond different wine regions to taste and source for quality small-batch wines. This complements the traditional way of procuring wines through tender requests, and allows us to build a relationship with smaller and more exclusive maisons and domaines."

Domaine Faiveley wines balance tendency with tradition. (Photo: Domaine Faiveley)

Each winery visit required a few months of planning in advance. The vino consultants sampled the wines bullheaded and scored them to brand their recommendations. A closed tender was then conducted for selected producers.

Cheers to this new sourcing approach, the 47 labels from Burgundy, which will be rotated over a period of 18 months, represent a six-fold increase from 2018, and what the airline claims to be the widest choice of Burgundy wines in the skies. (Betty) Wong said that customers tin can await forward to "a new and exciting label on board every two months".

Wong added that 60 per centum of the labels are also sectional labels, which "were not available on any other airline at the point of buy". The exclusive picks include Yard Cru and Premier Cru labels from Domaine Faiveley (the estate's gorgeous Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is besides listed), Domaine D'Ardhuy, Benjamin Leroux, and Domaine de Montille. Other Burgundy names include Louis Jadot, Albert Bichot, and Joseph Drouhin.

Burgundy currently dominates the wine pick; a focus that reflects its growing popularity among passengers. "There has been a surge in need for Burgundy wines over the past few years," said air sommelier Wong. "We are glad to take come on lath this trend early, listing One thousand Cru Burgundy in Outset Course way back in 2010. I am also seeing more passengers travel to French republic for the limited purpose of exploring the picturesque villages that brand upward Burgundy'south Gold Slope (Cote d'Or)."

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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/experiences/singapore-airlines-wine-menu-239726