Some of the World’s Rarest Wines Are Being Poured at 35,000 Feet

The wine program, available only in business and first class, was developed with master of wine Jeannie Cho Lee. The focus is on limited-production, high-elevation, and often allocation-only wines from regions like Burgundy, Margaret River, and the Mosel Valley. Some of the wineries only produce a couple hundred cases annually.

Cathay Pacific isn’t the only airline to pair fine wine with first class, of course. It is taking a novel approach for anyone who wants to be surprised with a bottle that is both rare and tasteful — no small task considering how altitude changes flavor. Cabin pressure and dry air lowers how our taste buds perceive sweet and salty, and smells are dulled as well. The wines that Lee picked stand up to these conditions.

Photo: Cathay Pacific

Wine enthusiasts will be surprised by the options even if they’re already familiar with the many offerings from producers in France, Portugal, Hungary, and other parts of Europe. What they may be even more surprised by is the growing selection of Chinese wines that Cathay Pacific has. China’s winemakers have won at the Global Wine Awards, but are still largely underrepresented globally. Cathay Pacific is a rare tasting platform to try some of the country’s best, like Long Dai’s Qiu Shan Valley 2021 from Shandong and Helan Qingxue’s Jia Bei Lan Estate Red from Ningxia.

The selection rotates monthly across long-haul routes in business and first class. Wines are served with tasting cards that explain the grape type, region, and producer. There’s also a sustainability component: the airline partners with wineries that use organic or biodynamic farming methods, and has moved toward lighter-weight glass bottles to reduce fuel burn.

Turns out you don’t need to book a vineyard tour in a remote location to sip something rare, just a window seat in first class.