TAM
Airlines has won another of the top categories in Business
Traveller’s prestigious "Cellars in the Sky"; awards that
recognise airlines for the quality of the wines served on board their
aircraft.
The
Brazilian company has received the award for the best red wine served
in Business Class during 2012. The wine in question is Château
Bel-Air-Ouÿ, 2007, a Saint-Emilion Grand
Cru produced in Bordeaux (France). The
winning wine is produced for TAM by one of France’s most respected
winemakers, Jean-Luc Thunevin.
The
awards took place at The Dorchester in London on 4 February 2013, and
were presented to Ignacio Blanco, the Marketing Director
for the LATAM Airlines Group in Europe, by the chairman of the jury
and co-chair of the International Wine Challenge, Charles Metcalfe.
In
February 2012 TAM won awards at "Cellars in the Sky" for
the best red wine served in First Class, Clos Canon 2008, and also
took the award as the airline with the most improved First Class wine
cellar. In 2009 TAM was chosen by "Cellars
in the Sky" to serve the best white wine in First Class with
Michel Picard Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Chalumeaux"
(2006).
“It
is always nice to see the work of the onboard service team recognised
at such a prestigious and highly respected award ceremony. It is
important to win “Cellars in the Sky” again, and especially for
one of the most hotly contested categories and one that TAM has not
previously won in the past. It attests to our commitment to always
offer our passengers the very best products,” says José Racowski,
TAM’s Long Haul Product Manager (Travel Experience). According to
the executive, choosing wines for Business Class is one of the most
complicated tasks in aviation food
and beverage,
as it requires a detailed research of high
quality wines
that have a greater volume of production than those that are served
in First Class.
According
to Arthur Azevedo, one of the most respected wine consultants in
Brazil, executive director of the Brazilian Association of Sommeliers
of São Paulo, and the
man responsible for selecting the wines
to be served on board TAM’s flights since 2001, the Château
Bel-Air-Ouÿ is a high-class wine, originally from Saint-Emilion,
Bordeaux, that is produced with Merlot (70%), Cabernet Franc
(20%), Cabernet
Sauvignon and Malbec grapes.
“This
is a very elegant wine that displays aromas of ripe dark fruit, with
notes of chocolate,” explains Azevedo. “The flavour in the mouth
is very nice and tasty, with a soft texture and long persistence. The
main reason for its success is the way that Jean-Luc works the
perfect integration of fruit and oak, combining the ripeness of the
grapes to the unparalleled expression of terroir wines taken from
Bordeaux. He is a tireless pursuer of excellence and perfection, and
delivers a lot of energy and enthusiasm to produce wines of
exceptional quality.”
Business
Traveller (www.businesstraveller.com), one of the world’s leading
and most influential magazines targeted at the global business
traveller, has annually organized the “Cellars in the Sky” awards
since 1985. For eight months, a panel of five leading experts will
have blind tasted over 250 wines served in the First Class and
Business Class of the world’s leading airlines. To choose the
winners the four independent judges considered that at altitude it is
the elegance and subtlety of wines, and the delicate balance between
acidity and alcohol, that is important.
For
2013, TAM’s wine
cellars is offering its passengers not
only the award winning Château Bel-Air-ouy, but also:
First
Class – long haul flights
Drappier
La Grande Sendrée (Champagne/France) - champagne;
Dr.
Bürklin-Wolf Pechstein Grand Cru (Pfalz/Germany) – white
wine;
Château
La Louviere (Pessac-Léognan/Bordeaux/France) – white wine;
La
Croix Figeac (St. Émilion/Bordeaux/France) – red wine;
San
Román (Toro/Spain) – red wine;
I
Balzini Black Label (Tuscany/Italy) – red wine.
Business
Class – long haul flights
Drappier
Carte d´Or (Champagne/France) - champagne;
Dr.
Bürklin-Wolf Wachenheimer Altenburg Premier Cru (Pfalz/Germany) –
white wine;
Jean-Luc
Thunevin Château Bel-Air-Ouÿ (Saint Émilion/Bordeaux/France) –
red wine;
Abadia
Retuerta Selección Especial (Sardón de Duero/Spain) – red wine.
Business
Class – short haul flights
For
short haul flights TAM offers a selection of wines from its long haul
Business Class cellar
Economy
Class – short and long haul flights
Callia
Alta Chardonnay (San Juan/Argentina) – white wine.
