Emirates has invested over US$1 billion in its wine programme

The plush seats have been reclined and the lights are dimmed, with soft ambient lighting casting a warm glow through the Business Class cabin. A flight attendant approaches to politely offer a beverage after take-off.
Since this is Emirates, the answer naturally is, “Champagne, please.”
After all, while our beloved national carrier Singapore Airlines arguably has the best in-flight food (delicious hawker fare via its Book the Cook service anyone?), Emirates typically comes out tops as the airline with the most exclusive selection of tipple, including bubbly. Both onboard and in lounges, it offers an enviable selection of top labels including Dom Perignon, Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot. But more on that soon.
It is undeniably a pleasure to be poured a glass of bubbly as the cabin crew are trained to offer the “perfect serve” in a manner befitting the fanciest three Michelin-starred restaurant.
With practised elegance, the flight attendant deftly removes the foil of Veuve Clicquot Brut and gently twists the bottle to release the cork with a subtle pop. Carefully holding the bottle at its base, she first pours a small amount into the glass, letting the foam settle before filling the glass precisely to the two-third mark – a method used to preserve the bubbles and avoid overflows.
I might just be extrapolating but this bit of razzmatazz does make flying feel exceptionally glamorous.
Passengers flying First Class have access to an even more exceptional treat. It is the only carrier in the world to serve Dom Perignon champagne across all routes.
The Business Class champagne line-up is no slouch either. It offers an exclusive selection of Moet & Chandon or Veuve Clicquot bubbly onboard, depending on the flight route.
In fact, for the next four years, Emirates is the only commercial airline globally to offer eight different champagnes across these three popular maisons.
This is an agreement made possible thanks to its 32-year partnership with LVMH-Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. As it is, the airline has, over the last 16 years, invested more than US$1 billion (S$1.31 billion) into its wine programme, making it widely regarded by industry experts as the most valuable airline offering in history.
Emirates is known to have a strategy of building its own team of experts who have nurtured relationships with some of the world’s most prestigious chateaux and vineyards to handpick and secure the wines and champagnes it serves onboard. For instance, its supply of vintage wine for future consumption is achieved by buying en primeur, that is, before the tipple is bottled and released to the market. It even has its own cellar in Burgundy, France where it is said that up to 6.5 million bottles are kept maturing for up to a decade to allow them to express their full potential before serving them on board.
“To us, wine is an experience. Our customers want to enjoy wine onboard as if they were in a fine dining restaurant. It is not just red, white, or rose. They are interested in where the grape comes from, the vintage, the vineyard’s heritage and so on,” said Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline.
“We would rather buy the best wines we can get in smaller lots and offer our customers more opportunities to try the best vintage, even though this requires a lot more work in terms of operational logistics from the loading of flights and menu updates, to the training of our cabin crew.”
For instance, in November and December, First Class passengers will get the rare opportunity to enjoy the acclaimed and highly limited 2004 Dom Perignon Plenitude 2. Meanwhile in Business Class, the Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial is being served from June to November on routes to Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific including Australasia while the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Blanc 2015 – said to be an exceptional viticultural year – will be served from September to December on routes to the Americas, UK and Europe.
These pours are in addition to the usual year-round Dom Perignon Vintage 2013 in First Class and Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut and Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label in Business Class.
This bubbly experience extends to solid ground as well, at the Emirates Lounges in Dubai. Of note is the dedicated Moet & Chandon Champagne Lounge at the Concourse B Business Class lounge at Dubai International Airport. Designed to resemble a swanky wine bar, there are four distinct cuvees by Moet & Chandon – Imperial Brut, Imperial Grand Vintage 2013, Rose Imperial and Nectar Imperial.
The lounge crew on duty are always more than happy to conduct an impromptu tasting session complete with entertaining commentary and tasting notes. Besides the smorgasbord of food options available through the entire lounge, there is also a selection of delicate canapes that have been specially created to pair with each cuvee available at the champagne lounge itself.
Access to the Emirates Business Class lounges at the Dubai airport are complimentary for frequent flyers on the airlines’ Skywards programme. This includes those who have achieved its relatively attainable silver tier, which requires an accrual of 25,000 miles within a year.
That said, those flying on Premium Economy and Economy are not left out entirely. The Premium Economy cabin features an Australian sparkling wine, the Chandon vintage brut 2017, which is made in the traditional method for elegance and depth while reflecting the locale’s bold fruity flavours.
And in Economy, the airline has found a novel way to bring a touch of sparkle to mark a special occasion. For US$43 (S$57), travellers can pre-book a cake and champagne package where the cabin crew will surprise a passenger onboard with a mini celebration, which includes a flute of Moet & Chandon Brut. So, the only choice you will have to make is the flavour of your cake – either luscious vanilla cake or decadent chocolate.