When I went to France in November I flew Air France. I was fortunate enough to fly Business class for my trip to Paris. I was curious to see how Air France modeled their wine list especially after the stirs in social media about Air Canada (you can read my original column here). I wasn’t sure what to expect from the flag carrier of France but I think it’s fair to say that their list could easily be a template for other wine producing countries.
There were four wines on the list in Business class all coming from different regions. I think it’s safe to say that even a hardened wine snob could find something to their taste on the list.
White wine on the flight consisted of Deutz Champagne and 2011 Chablis from Jean-Marc Brocard. Obviously one cannot stock a full cellar on a plane and sticking to Champagne and lighter Chardonnay are good bets to be crowd pleasing wines.
Red wine onboard consisted of a Vallée du Rhône Perrin et Fils Cairanne Peyre Blanche 2010 and Bordeaux from Lalande de Pomerol Chateau Siaurac 2008. The Rhône was loaded with heavy, ripe fruit with a bit of spice and smoke on the finish. The Bordeaux was also affable and drinking very well.
The wines in economy class are also easy drinking and accessible … While they may come across as nothing spectacular in terms of “fine wine” but they are French. Let’s face it we’re not usually too concerned about getting the best of the best in economy class but at least they are locally sourced.
With the wines in business class Air France has done a great job covering several regions geographically and different styles of wine. I am already looking forward to my next flight to see what will be new and how the list will change. If you are planning a trip to France I highly recommend checking out Air France, even if you can’t afford to fly business class the food and wine is distinctly french and a great way to start and end your trip.
