We Asked 6 Wine Experts What They Drink on a Flight, and They All Agree on This Beverage

""airlines have really stepped up their game. I've spotted bottles on beverage carts that I'd have to hunt for on the ground, which tells me they're working with people who actually know wine. They have a captive audience at 35,000 feet, and they could easily rely on subpar offerings. So when an airline chooses to stock something genuinely good, it says a lot.""

""Altitude alters perception," says Jose Perez y Heck, director of food and beverage at La Bahia Hotel & Spa in Santa Cruz, California. What might be a pleasant wine on the ground often loses nuance or becomes imbalanced in flight since the low cabin pressure tends to mute aromas. For this reason, Heck and Luis Rojas, certified sommelier and wine director at Mita restaurant in Washington, D.C., prioritize freshness and simplicity."

Airlines are elevating onboard beverage programs by offering luxury wines, free regional beers and wines, and island-distilled spirits in creative cocktails. Sommeliers note carriers source bottles that can be hard to find on the ground, indicating collaboration with knowledgeable suppliers. Low cabin pressure and reduced olfactory sensitivity mute aromas and alter perception, so sommeliers favor fresh, simple wines. Sparkling wine or Champagne performs reliably because acidity, effervescence, and restrained sugar and alcohol maintain balance in flight. Enhanced beverage selections aim to captivate a captive audience and build loyalty through memorable drink experiences.

Read at Travel + Leisure