Qantas – Cellar in the Sky

Qantas selects 2017 Eden Hall Reserve Riesling for Cellar in the Sky Awards 2017

Cellar in the Sky awards 2017.

Eden Hall 2016 Reserve Riesling was selected by Qantas airlines as one of its 2 white wines for the awards.

The Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky 2017 Awards, recognise the best business and first class wines served by airlines worldwide in the last year, and were presented on Monday February 19 at Trinity House near Tower Hill, London, by Charles Metcalfe, co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge.

Singapore Airlines was the evening’s biggest winner, taking the coveted Gold Medal for Best Overall Cellar, as well as the top spots in the Best Business Class White and Best Business Class Cellar categories.

Qantas also walked away with three Gold medals for Best First Class White, Best First Class Cellar and Best Business Class Fortified/Dessert.

Winning joint Gold for Best First-Class Sparkling were Air France, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines and Qantas, as they all serve the same winning Champagne. The Gold Medal for Best Presented First Class Wine List went to All Nippon Airways, who also scooped the prize for Best Presented Business Class Wine List.

Oman Air received the Gold Medal for Best First-Class Red, while Korean Air won Best Business Class Red and Air France grabbed Best First Class Fortified/Dessert Wine. Oneworld was once again named Best Airline Alliance.

Business Traveller contacted more than 75 airlines in summer 2017, and 32 entered. Blind tastings took place at the Hilton London Tower Bridge in December, with four judges independently scoring the wines. Along with Metcalfe, the judges were: Tim Atkin MW, Sarah Abbott MW and Peter McCombie MW, co-chairpeople of the International Wine Challenge.

Participating airlines were: Aegean, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Air Canada, Air France, Alitalia, American Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Finnair, Iberia, Icelandair, Japan Airlines, JetBlue, Jetstar, KLM, Korean Air, LATAM, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Sri Lankan, Tarom, United and Virgin Atlantic.

Cellars in the Sky was in its 32nd year in 2017, having been running since 1985.