Wines on the Wing 2020

Raise a glass to the winners of GT ’s 17th annual Wines on the Wing airline wine competition.

- ANGELIQUE PLATAS

Hosting a wine tasting event at a brewery in Bristol, Pennsylvania, may seem like a departure from our usual Wines on the Wing airline wine competition, typically hosted in New York City, but what has 2020 been if not a true test of adaptability?

Like so many events this year, Global Traveler’s 17th annual Wines on the Wing airline wine competition was postponed many times. As our team planned and replanned, our event finally took shape at Odd Logic Brewery, owned and operated by Tim Shaw. Mentioning Shaw’s name anywhere in the area is sure to be followed with a variation of “I know him; he’s a great guy!” And Odd Logic is a great local business and refreshingly laid-back venue.

To participate in the competition, airlines from around the world operating long-haul international first-class service and/or business-class service are invited to submit two white wines, two red wines and one Champagne or sparkling wine featured on their in-flight wine lists. The same rules apply to our smaller North American category, including airlines boasting first-class and/or business-class services beginning and ending in North America.

Once competing airlines submit paperwork, menus and samples — no easy feat even before a global pandemic — all wines are coded and divided into flights, or categories. The submissions are then organized for the blind tasting, in which wines are poured into numbered glasses, the identity never revealed to the judges.