Community
Wiki Posts
Search

The 2015 BA Champagne and Wine Thread

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 7, 2015, 3:05 am
  #46  
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,531
Originally Posted by V10
I will be avoiding the white in future as I can see no other justification for it being offered other than being the lowest cost item in the supplier's catalogue.
I think you are being a little bit unfair here: in addition to it being the cheapest on the catalogue, there is another reason to choose this wine which is that if my memory serves me right, it comes in plastic bottles which are also cheaper to transport!
orbitmic is offline  
Old Mar 7, 2015, 3:24 am
  #47  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: usually LON
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), Tesco Blue, TK Elite (*G), Oyster Diamond Jubilee edition
Posts: 1,546
Originally Posted by orbitmic
Hello! Would love to hear about your experience.

If you are referring to my post about the Condrieu, I genuinely meant it as a question. I certainly never had it in CW (of which I take at least 20 flights a year if not more) but I do realise that menus may vary by route and there are multiple menu rotations each month too (I think two menus per month per city pair) so I was genuinely curious whether I had just been unlucky (I love a good Condrieu and still think of it as the quintessential example of subliming viognier) or if indeed, it was if not a ghost wine (I can't imagine them completely lying about it), at least an anecdotal wine that merely turned up on a number of flights.

If you meant Land-of-Miles's comments, I can confirm that it is frequent that some wines on the menu are not available on board although I would say that 3 out of 4 is actually really unusual in my experience. I hope it was a pure unlucky coincidence rather than a trend.

I presume each airline chooses which of the wines it offers in a given travel class it enters in the competition? If so, I suppose it might be worth asking them to specify what proportion of flights it was actually available on for the judges' information?
Don't BA have different wine offerings by route? It might be that they have it once a month on LHR-HND et voilà, we have the best wine! Small print: but not for you. Sounds like typical BA.

And beware, they now have "expertly sourced wines" in CW according to the website so it is going to get worse.

I have not travelled much lately but I have not seen any decent wine in GF for maybe 6 months. Always just a bit above the lowest level.
haasha is offline  
Old Mar 7, 2015, 4:53 am
  #48  
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,531
Originally Posted by haasha
Don't BA have different wine offerings by route? It might be that they have it once a month on LHR-HND et voilà, we have the best wine!
Indeed, hence (bolding mine):

Originally Posted by orbitmic
Hello! Would love to hear about your experience.

If you are referring to my post about the Condrieu, I genuinely meant it as a question. I certainly never had it in CW (of which I take at least 20 flights a year if not more) but I do realise that menus may vary by route and there are multiple menu rotations each month too (I think two menus per month per city pair) so I was genuinely curious whether I had just been unlucky (I love a good Condrieu and still think of it as the quintessential example of subliming viognier) or if indeed, it was if not a ghost wine (I can't imagine them completely lying about it), at least an anecdotal wine that merely turned up on a number of flights.
orbitmic is offline  
Old Mar 10, 2015, 9:48 am
  #49  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Four Seasons Contributor BadgeMandarin Oriental Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
No more Haig it seems. They have replaced it with Singleton of Dufftown Unite in GF. A fairly smooth single malt, but I prefered the aftertaste of Beckham's Haig.

On the plus side they have some Pouilly-Fuissé today.
stimpy is offline  
Old Mar 10, 2015, 10:13 am
  #50  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,925
Originally Posted by stimpy
…….the aftertaste of Beckham's Haig.
Something to do with the least successful English captain? I fail totally to understand Scotch whiskey drinkers.
Greenpen is offline  
Old Mar 10, 2015, 10:17 am
  #51  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Four Seasons Contributor BadgeMandarin Oriental Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Originally Posted by Greenpen
Something to do with the least successful English captain? I fail totally to understand Scotch whiskey drinkers.
Hah. It's OT, but someone should watch this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAKy0-y9Ba4
stimpy is offline  
Old Mar 13, 2015, 1:04 pm
  #52  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: in a cabin
Posts: 6,522
Well, someone appears to have been listening/reading.
There is a 2006 Grand Cru Classe St Emilion among the reds, and a 1er Cru Chablis among the whites this evening. Together with tasty Chicken Madeira, then some Ice Cream together with the JW Blue and I can say that the old days are back. For now... we'll see in a few weeks.

^^

*hick*
Petrus is offline  
Old Mar 13, 2015, 1:11 pm
  #53  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: YVR/HKG/SIN
Programs: ACSE*2MM,CX Diamond, BA Gold, OW Emerald,Fairmont Platinum, SPG Platnium Lifetime,
Posts: 208
They had a great Laurent Perrier Champagne and another Rose Champagne in Club World on Monday this week from LHR-YUL #095....
2MMKid is offline  
Old Mar 13, 2015, 5:00 pm
  #54  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Four Seasons Contributor BadgeMandarin Oriental Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Originally Posted by Petrus
Well, someone appears to have been listening/reading.
There is a 2006 Grand Cru Classe St Emilion among the reds, and a 1er Cru Chablis among the whites this evening. Together with tasty Chicken Madeira, then some Ice Cream together with the JW Blue and I can say that the old days are back. For now... we'll see in a few weeks.
Isn't the 1er Chablis fairly normal in GF?

As for the Grand Cru Classe Saint-Émilion, that doesn't automatically make it a good wine. I had a bottle of that from my mini-bar last night and it wasn't that great.
stimpy is offline  
Old Mar 15, 2015, 1:36 pm
  #55  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: UK
Programs: Virgin Flying Club Red, Emirates Skywards Blue, BA Executive Club Blue, Amex BA
Posts: 2,380
travelling in F, if i ask for wine tasting, will the CC know what i mean? ie, having a wine match for each course?

Last edited by GodAtum; Mar 15, 2015 at 1:49 pm
GodAtum is offline  
Old Mar 15, 2015, 1:53 pm
  #56  
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,531
Originally Posted by stimpy
Isn't the 1er Chablis fairly normal in GF?

As for the Grand Cru Classe Saint-Émilion, that doesn't automatically make it a good wine. I had a bottle of that from my mini-bar last night and it wasn't that great.
Indeed, St Emilion Grand Crus are amongst the most uneven bunches I can think of. I saw the one the other day but didn't try it. I tried the Chablis 1er Cru which was nice (not as nice as the Chablis Grand Cru a couple of months ago!)

You are right that it "should" be standard at GF, but frankly, like our friend Petrus, considering the "traversee du desert" that wine lovers have had to go through in the past couple of months with week after week of utter disappointment and bottles more fit for Lidl than for a "Galleries first" lounge, "normal" sounds like signhificant progress already.
orbitmic is offline  
Old Mar 15, 2015, 1:55 pm
  #57  
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,531
Originally Posted by GodAtum
travelling in F, if i ask for wine tasting, will the CC know what i mean? ie, having a wine match for each course?
I don't mean to sound pedantic, but since you are asking, what you describe sounds like "wine pairing" rather than "wine tasting".

Wine tasting is typically done without a meal and based on an order which allows you to still feel the tasting notes of each subsequent wine, while wine pairing is organised along the lines of a menu composition so that each wine supports the character of each individual dish.
orbitmic is offline  
Old Mar 15, 2015, 2:01 pm
  #58  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,015
Originally Posted by GodAtum
travelling in F, if i ask for wine tasting, will the CC know what i mean? ie, having a wine match for each course?
As orbitmic mentions above, their is a difference between wine tasting and pairing. But either way, whichever you desire, the crew will happily provide for your needs.

Wine tasting and they'll plonk 5 glasses in front of you and give you a taster. Wine pairing and they'll provide suggestions for wines to accompany your courses.
CatchThePigeon is offline  
Old Mar 26, 2015, 2:06 pm
  #59  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: in a cabin
Posts: 6,522
It is depressing to find this thread sees posting action less than once week. Clearly, the crowd has changed and so have the libations.

Anyhow, GF is back to the inferior standard we've become accoustomed to over the last couple of years.
The most interesting wine on offer today is a Hamilton Russel Pinot Noir, which you can get for under 20quid a bottle.

At least service is of acceptable standard. Food is what it is...
Petrus is offline  
Old Mar 26, 2015, 5:46 pm
  #60  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Four Seasons Contributor BadgeMandarin Oriental Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Originally Posted by Petrus
It is depressing to find this thread sees posting action less than once week. Clearly, the crowd has changed and so have the libations.
Maybe things will change for the better this summer once BA can close down their LHR T1 lounge? And maybe I will fly BA more often once I will no longer have to transit via T1. I will be there again next week and dreading it.
stimpy is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.