Just because you’re flying economy doesn’t mean your wine drinking has to be cattle class – if you follow these rules – you’re gonna be flying high!
I fly a lot for work, and like most Australians, we are bullet proof when it comes to flying 24 hours to get anywhere decent in the world. For me, drinking wine on board serves two purposes – it tranquillises me so I can get a decent sleep, and serves as a form of entertainment. Yes, I’m a wine geek, even 187ml bottles of economy wine get me excited. But be warned – while there are ‘THE EXCELLENT’ wines, there’s also ‘THE MEDIOCRE’ wines, and the, ‘I’LL HAVE A GIN AND TONIC INSTEAD’, wines!
There’s a real science that goes into choosing wines for airlines, and if you understand this, your choosing ability will be so much better. You see, wine actually tastes differently when you’re travelling at 30,000 feet – that’s because the air you’re breathing is actually recycled, which dries up your palate and makes wine taste slightly different. The makeup of the wine doesn’t change, just the way you perceive it.
Rule 1: Choose a flavoursome white
When I’m choosing a white wine to go with my airline meal, it needs more flavour than what I’d normally drink on the ground. You’ll notice that airline food is never bland – and that’s because there’s always a rich sauce to accommodate your palate drying out. A medium to fuller bodied, fruit driven white will counterbalance this.
Rule 2: Choose a softer red
Your dried out palate will make red wines more astringent, emphasising acids and tannins. So think soft and cuddly reds to get you through the flight, with ample fruit flavours. Generally speaking, ‘New World’ reds from warmer climates are going to be your friend – that’s why Australian wines work so well in economy. I would steer away from French and Italian reds as they are generally leaner in style. That’s a big sweeping generalisation of course, but you can always…
Rule 3: Ask questions
If you’re unsure about the wine’s flavour, ask for advice. Just because you’re flying economy, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy business class service. Quality airlines train their staff in basic wine knowledge and often have more than one option to choose from. With Qantas, they usually have a fully trained sommelier flying on each long haul leg. Their services are available to all passengers – even Economy. Their expertise will help you choose the right wine with your meal.
By: Drew (The Wine Wankers)
***Grabbed from: https://winewankers.com/2017/10/16/the-three-golden-rules-to-drinking-wine-while-flying-economy/