Qantas has taken out five awards at the annual Cellars in the Sky Awards, held in London.
The awards measure the quality of wines available in Business and First Class on-board the world’s airlines.
This year, Qantas took out the awards for Best Overall Wine Cellar, Best First Class Cellar and Best Business Class Cellar.
It also won the awards for Best First Class White Wine for its Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2009 and Best First Class Sparkling wine for the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2000.
There were also gold medals for Emirates (Best First Class Red and Best Business Class Fortified)); Cathay Pacific (Best Business Class Red); EVA Air (Best Business Class White and Best Business Class Sparkling); Air New Zealand (Best Presented Business Class Wine List); Qatar Airways (Best Presented First Class Wine List) and El Al (Best Business Class Fortified)
Qantas’ local rival, Virgin Australia, did not enter the Cellars in the Sky Awards.
FULL LIST OF GOLD MEDAL WINNERS:
BEST FIRST CLASS RED
Gold Medal – Emirates – Clarendon Hills Shiraz 2005, McLaren Vale, Australia
BEST FIRST CLASS WHITE
Gold Medal – Qantas – Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, 2009, Margaret River, Australia
BEST FIRST CLASS SPARKLING
Gold Medal – Qantas – Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, 2000, France
BEST FIRST CLASS FORTIFIED/DESSERT
Gold Medal – El-Al – Yarden Heights Gewurztraminer Late Harvest 2011, Golan Heights, Galilee, Israel
BEST FIRST CLASS CELLAR
Gold Medal – Qantas
BEST-PRESENTED FIRST CLASS WINE LIST
Gold Medal – Qatar Airways
BEST BUSINESS CLASS RED
Gold Medal – Cathay Pacific – Murray Street White Label Barossa Shiraz, 2008, Australia
BEST BUSINESS CLASS WHITE
Gold Medal – Eva Air – Vincent Girardin Chassagne Montrachet Vieilles Vignes, 2010, Burgundy, France
BEST BUSINESS CLASS SPARKLING
Gold Medal – Eva Air – Champagne Dom Perignon, 2004, France
BEST BUSINESS CLASS FORTIFIED/DESSERT
Gold Medal – Emirates – Graham’s 20 Year-Old Tawny Port, Portugal
BEST BUSINESS CLASS CELLAR
Gold Medal – Qantas
Silver Medal – Etihad Airways
Bronze Medal – Cathay Pacific
BEST-PRESENTED BUSINESS CLASS WINE LIST
Gold Medal – Air New Zealand
Silver Medal – Qatar Airways
Bronze Medal – Finnair
BEST OVERALL WINE CELLAR
Gold Medal – Qantas
Silver Medal – Emirates
Bronze Medal (JOINT) – El-Al, Cathay Pacific
BEST AIRLINE ALLIANCE – Oneworld
