Vistajet Launches Wine in the Air

VISTAJET REDEFINES WINE IN FLIGHT WITH A COLLECTION OF EXPERT FINDINGS, SIGNATURE AND WINE CLUB SELECTIONS, TASTINGS IN THE SKY AND CURATED TOURS.

Vistajet, has launched The Vistajet Wine Program, the most engaging experience of wine, designed to enhance the exploration of the world of wine on its aircraft and at world destinations.

A PASSION FOR WINES

Vistajet Chairman, Thomas Flohr, is an avid investor in wine with a cellar of more than 3,000 bottles. “Enjoying a glass of wine in flight should be the same as in a restaurant. But nobody has ever managed to offer this on a global scale,” says Flohr. “To provide consistency of service and quality, we have created the first global programme that will ensure our Members enjoy the best possible wine in the sky.”

Much of the pleasure of savouring wine is in understanding its nuances, yet the effects of altitude, cabin pressure and air quality mean that selecting the right wine for a flight can be difficult. During the development of The Vistajet Wine Program, the company hosted some of the world’s foremost wine experts, including those from Marchesi Antinori and Rothschild (Lafite) on several flights to sample, taste and compare wines.

FLIGHT CONDITIONS

By tasting on the ground and in the sky, the experts were able to understand how taste and smell are the senses most affected by the atmosphere and work together in a pressurized cabin; nasal sensors’ reception of aromas are limited owing to the lower air pressure that comes with a lower humidity; bubbles in sparkling wines, which contain up to thirty times more aromas than the liquid, tend to stick to the sides of the glass. Fruit flavours are diminished, while bitterness and spiciness are largely unaffected.

Professor Charles Spence noted that the level of background noise on a commercial flight adversely affects perception of smell and taste. In a business jet the comforts of someone’s home are more accurately recreated with cabin noise 35 decibels less than commercial, minimizing the psychological impact.

Elements of The Vistajet Wine Program include:

THE WINE IN THE SKY QUESTIONNAIRE

Vistajet invited oenophiles including Sofia Coppola and Andrea Bocelli to contribute to The

Wine in the Sky Questionnaire, a compendium of suggestions for tasting, serving and transporting wine on travels. The book advises how to select appropriate wines considering the effects of flying on our senses. The Questionnaire can be ordered on Assouline.com.

SIGNATURE WINE LIST

Sourced from iconic vineyards and handpicked by Thomas Flohr, all Vistajet passengers can enjoy the Signature Wine

List with wines that take advantage of the effects of flying to perform best in the sky. The list features classics such as the elegant Ruinart Champagnes and the dense, smooth and ripe Château Pape Clément.

THE VISTAJET WINE CLUB

Adding a discovery aspect to the signature offering, The Vistajet Wine Club allows Members to explore the world of wine with 12 carefully selected wines each year, tasting two new bottles every other month from a range of producers and grapes. To enhance the experience, Vistajet Cabin Hostesses can organize a blind tasting to assess the characteristics of grape varieties and record notes on tasting cards. The full list will be disclosed to Vistajet Program Members throughout the year.

WINE TOURS

Vistajet provides bespoke access and personal introductions to the world’s best winemakers and wine clubs through the Vistajet office. With the global Wine Tours, Members can request roundthe-world wine itineraries and personal tours of the finest vineyards and wine regions, as well as access to wine auctions and events with wine traders and collectors.

Vistajet’s Wine Tours include a three-day experience hosted by Marchesi Antinori, to enjoy dinner with the family at Palazzo Antinori, tasting wines from their private collection, before visiting their vineyards in Tuscany and Umbria by helicopter and staying in the estates’ guest houses.

THE WORLD OF WINE CONCIERGE

The World of Wine Concierge offers advice to help Members discover wines and vineyards in any region they’re visiting. The concierge can assist with acquiring a historic vintage for any occasion, giving recommendations about buying wine en primeur and at auction, as well as help arranging safe transportation of wine. Members can request advice from a global network of experts in North America, Europe and Asia.v

www.vistajet.com/wine