The leading private aviation company redefines wine in flight with a collection of expert findings, signature and wine club selections, tastings in the sky and curated tours.
LONDON – Global business aviation company, VistaJet announced the launch of The VistaJet Wine Program, the most expansive and engaging experience of wine, designed to enhance the exploration of the world of wine on its aircraft and at world destinations.
VistaJet Founder and Chairman, Thomas Flohr is an avid collector and investor in wine with a cellar of more than 3,000 bottles and a particular passion for Burgundies. “Enjoying a glass of wine while in flight should be the same as a glass of wine in a restaurant. But nobody has ever managed to offer this on a global scale,” said Flohr. “So, to provide the consistency of service and quality to our Members, we have created the first global program that will ensure our guests enjoy the best possible wine in the sky whilst catering to all their needs when it comes to tasting, collecting, discovering and developing a deeper knowledge of wine – anytime, anywhere.”
Much of the pleasure of savoring wine is in understanding its nuances, yet the effects of altitude, cabin pressure and air quality mean that selecting the right wine for a flight can prove to be difficult. During the development of The VistaJet Wine Program, the company hosted some of the world’s foremost wine experts, including those from Marchesi Antinori, Rothschild (Lafite), Ca’ del Bosco and Artemis Domaines, on several flights to sample, taste and compare a number of different wines from all over the world. By tasting on the ground and in the sky, the experts were able to further understand how taste and smell are the senses most affected by the atmosphere and work together in a pressurized cabin; nasal sensors’ reception of aromas are limited owing to the lower air pressure that comes with a lower humidity; bubbles found in sparkling wines, which contain up to thirty times more aromas than the liquid, tend to stick to the sides of the glass; and that fruit flavors are diminished, while bitterness and spiciness are largely unaffected.
In addition to that of the palate, Oxford University professor Charles Spence noted that the level of background noise on a commercial flight adversely affects a person’s perception of smell and taste. In a business jet however, the comforts of someone’s home environment are more accurately recreated with cabin noise 35 decibels less than commercial, minimizing the inherent psychological impact. Flying at 45,000 feet, VistaJet’s Global 6000 has an equivalent air pressure of only 4,500 feet, making many of the sensory effects of air travel less noticeable.
The learnings from these memorable wine flights, touching down in exclusive vineyards including Clos de Tart and Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, proved instrumental in the development of The VistaJet Wine Program.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
