The champagne offerings on Singapore Airlines flights just got fancier. From Dec 1, it will be the only airline in the world to serve the Cristal 2015 from renowned French champagne house Louis Roederer in its Airbus A380 Suites and Boeing 777-300ER First Class cabins.
The unique vintage will initially be available on flights between Singapore and Delhi, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Paris, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo before being rotated on other Suites and First Class routes on a three-month basis. This is in addition to the existing bubbly offerings of Krug Grande Cuvee and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne in the top-end cabins.
Singapore Airlines’ senior vice-president of customer experience Yeoh Phee Teik shared that there are several key principles to SIA’s curation of inflight food and wine offerings. The flavours of the food and wine have to complement each other at high altitudes while the diverse preferences of the customers are taken into consideration.
He explained: “Our monthly menu refresh is curated to match the destination and customer profile of each flight. Each menu features a variety of proteins such as fish, chicken, lamb, beef, and seafood, with wines carefully selected to complement each dish and enhance their flavours. SIA and its panel of wine consultants consider factors such as complexity, balance, ageing potential, wine origin, and grape varietal when choosing wines for in-flight service.”
“The Cristal 2015 is known for its exceptional balance and depth of flavour,” Yeoh said. “Offering this premium champagne to our Suites and First Class customers elevates their travel experience and ensures that they continue to enjoy an unparalleled, luxurious journey with us.”
The Cristal 2015 is a blend of 40 per cent Chardonnay and 60 per cent Pinot Noir sourced from all 45 vineyard plots in seven Grand Cru vineyards where the vines are over 20 years old — a first since 2002. Combined with a chalky terroir and a hot and sunny year in 2015 that brought forth ripe, juicy and concentrated grapes, the result is wines that are well-structured with a bold freshness.
Jeannie Cho Lee, SIA’s wine consultant and the first Asian to receive the Master of Wine title, said: “The Cristal 2015’s depth and impressive quality from the meticulous ageing process results in a champagne with intricate and intense flavours of toasted pinenuts, crushed stones, and white flowers, coupled with a crescendo of refined flavours and a lingering, persistent finish. The quality of this wine remains prominent even at 36,000 feet, making it the perfect addition for SIA’s Suites and First Class customers.”
