Delta's 2017 wine line-up hand-picked by master sommelier
The first corks being popped include Portugal’s Terra de Touros Vinho Regional Tejo and Esprit de Pavie Bordeaux. Throughout the year, business class customers will also be offered champagne as well as a dessert wine or port following the main meal service. Delta’s previous port, Cálem 10-Year-Old Tawny, was recently awarded a silver medal at the annual UK Cellars in the Sky awards.
“I always look forward to hand-selecting the Delta One wine line-up, and this year was no exception,” said Robinson. “Delta’s unique wine programme provides an opportunity to offer a variety of regionally-sourced wines, including small, emerging and family-owned wineries, onboard to its customers. Each menu includes a rich diversity of regional origin, with wines that pair well with the flavours and cooking styles of the season.”
Each wine has been chosen to pair with Delta’s seasonally rotating food menus. For Spring, the airline is offering dishes including fillet of beef with brandy peppercorn sauce, potato and celery root gratin and roasted shallots. In addition to Portugal and France, throughout the next 12 months, the wines served have also been sourced from France, Italy, Spain, Argentina and the United States.
Every year, Robinson samples 1,600 different wines from around the world to curate her Delta selections. In addition to the Premium Programme, she also curates an Essential Delta One menu, one for South America and a fourth for US transcontinental routes. Customers in the premium cabins consume more than 2.5 million bottles of wine, champagne and port each year.