New wine lineup on Asiana

MANILA, Philippines - Asiana Airlines (OZ) recently hosted the “2010 Asiana In-Flight Wine Promotion” at LSG, Asiana’s catering company located next to the Incheon International Airport, where world renowned sommeliers were invited to choose the selection of Asiana’s in-flight wines.

Since 2004, the multi-awarded Asiana has been inviting the world’s top sommeliers every three years to gather for a stringent wine evaluation for wines to be served on-board.

The airline has been consistently recognized for on-board services, in-flight meals and the professionalism of its flight attendants.

With its latest recognition as a five-star airline for the fourth consecutive year in the World Airline Ranking, Asiana has renewed its commitment to the highest quality services for its passengers.

Twenty-two Korean and foreign wine-producing firms participated in the event, sending in 868 wine selections.

After the first blind tasting, choices were narrowed down to 284. World champion sommeliers like Sweden’s Andreas Larson, crowned the 2007 World’s Best Sommelier, and two other world renowned sommeliers participated as judges for the event.

The two were Evangelos Pattas, vice chairman of the Germany Sommelier Association; and France’s Christine Balais, Wine Magazine’s tasting judge and international sommelier judge.

To diversify choices, Asiana also included a variety of wines from Chile, Australia and Argentina. Harmonizing in-flight wines with meals is considered an important factor for the airline, so in-flight meals and presentations were provided for the sommeliers to judge.

Passengers will experience the new wines on flights beginning October. Asiana currently serves 30 kinds of wines: 12 types in first class, 12 in business and six in travel class.

Asiana reports that an average of 350,000 bottles of wines are annually consumed on its flights.