CO FF

Just to clarify. I did not ask to sample each wine prior to choosing one to drink with the appropriate course. Rather, on this 9-hour flight there were 3 reds and 3 whites. There were four food courses. Just like visiting a wine bar which also serves food (or tapas if you happen to be in Spain), the purpose of the exercise is to sample several different wines over the course of the evening.

As for the matter of changes which occur in the air, I agree this is not the ideal place to do a formal wine tasting, but I have worked my way through enough wineries and tastings to recognize the variances one expects at high altitudes. And wines for inflight service are chosen with this in mind, often being younger or having higher acidity to compensate for the vagaries of inflight service.

In any case, my desire to sample all these wines -- on these flights mostly Chilean and unavailable in North America -- should not be considered scandalous or aborant behavior as you suggest. In fact, several airlines actually encourage "tastings in the air", which is why their wine lists are getting more interesting and extensive.

To this end, Canadian Airlines not only provides a list of the wines served in J-class on international flights, but a small booklet that provides a considerable amount of infor- mation about each one. And in BA's F-class, I have actually been encouraged by the flight attendants to sample both "chardonnay" based whites to see if I prefer the French Montrachet or the Australian Chardonnay (or whatever the choices are).

The whole J- and F-class inflight experience on long intercontinental flights should be relaxed and club like, as if you have visited a good club or restaurant. That is a standard I hold a world class airline to, particularly when I've paid $5,000 or more for a flight. Some achieve this level effortlessly, others just don't seem to get it.

Than again, maybe too many passengers don't either. Or wouldn't recognize what such standards should be.