Transpacificflyer

I suggest an amendment to the above to silence those who are criticizing a valid comment;
"the airline says there are good reasons for why it has embraced a diverse group of vintners: because Air Canada will not pay the price for a good quality Canadian wine".

The Canadian wines I have sampled on board AC flights have been disgusting. I shall never forget the glass of acidic vomit inducing Lake Erie Chardonnay I was served. I quickly spat it out. Some people were excited over the hot dogs and Kraft dinner served in the MLL too.

Air Canada earns Skytrax accolades too. (I note that many on FT dismiss these types of award.) Did you know that Air Canada is one of the best airlines in North America? It's a fact because an unaudited commercial for profit entity said so.

WaytoomuchEurope

I'm enjoying a glass of 2012 Meritage from Burrowing Owl that suggests you're likely wrong. Last night it was "Iconoclast", a 2010 red blend from Fairview Cellars in Oliver that proves you wrong, and a few days ago I had a 2004 pinot noir from Quail's Gate that makes your statement above look absolutely idiotic.

To the topic at hand...I for one would love to be able to sample a couple different canadian wines every couple of months but that just doesn't seem practical for AC.

Their wine isn't very good. Neither is the wine from most airlines. The good news? 4 bottles and I can actually sleep for a few hours.

Bohemian1

And today I just got my annual case of Foxtrot Pinot Noir from Naramata which is an amazing value for the quality. But I don't expect AC to serve this anymore than I would expect them to start serving fresh truffles. That ain't the point.

There are plenty of wines in the mid price range that AC could or maybe even should serve. Heck, how about a limited-time Canadian wine festival on board? Something to make the tired food and beverage a little more interesting. But No, they seem content on serving the crappola they do, which is maybe where @alpinecow gets their opinion about Canadian wines. It would explain much.

It can't be much fun being Veronique Rivest and actually having your name and likeness on that wine list. But while she may have no budget, at least she gets to practice her creative writing skills.

Altaflyer

acysb87

Gustav (Foxtrot)made a benchmark Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir. Did a private tasting with him a few years ago.
Do an annual pilgrimage/wine run in June focusing on wines off Naramata Bench down to US border.

AY is accurate that the majority of Canadian wineries would not be able to meet volumes required by AC

ACYYZ/SD

Bear in mind that by all measures NZ is a small airline. Less than 30 long haul aircraft with are provisioned with wine, and a large number of their domestic services feature all Y service and no alcohol provided depending on the time of day. AY is absolutely correct when he states that volume is a factor. A CDN boutique winery would basically have to offer AC sole/preferred supplier status thereby limiting it's exposure. And yes, price point is a factor.

Jasper2009

NZ is one of the few airlines that does an excellent job showcasting local wines, though I agree with you it's somewhat easier for them to do so since they're a fairly small airline. With two dozen longhaul flights a day (plus possibly a handful of trans-tasman flights) it's definitely possible to feature some wines from smaller winery.

AC operates at least 100 flights a day with Signature service, so at least 1000 cases of a particular wine would be needed even if AC switched the menu every month. If it were a nice wine pax actually enjoyed (or that AC prominently displayed on the menu), that number could easily double or triple.

I still think it's a shame AC doesn't make an effort to offer at least 1-2 decent local wines (and maybe some Cdn ice wine for those who are interested in sampling it), but AC would have to increase its budget quite a bit to do so.

CZAMFlyer

I never did understand the mass appeal of champagne. I'm not a fan of the bubbly, and I wonder how many people drink the Dom, Krug etc because, like caviar, that's one is 'supposed' to consume when in luxurious* surroundings. *Not that Robin Leach has ever drawled about AC J.

Oh, you've taken me back. No wonder, when learning how/what to drink, I despised wine. The mere memory of an evening spent downing a bottle of Calona Royal Red Medium Dry circa 1987 is enough to incite a headache.

While I applaud your choices and tastebuds, none of us can criticize each others' taste preferences. I happen to very much enjoy the first two wines you listed above, but have found some '94-pointers' not to my liking. Just because you and I enjoy a B.Owl Meritage and other good-quality BC wines, doesn't mean the person in the next row will. I have a family friend - who is a billionaire and thus has the resources and access to the world's finest vintages - but is perfectly content with a low-end, drink-within-six-weeks Jackson Triggs in his glass. To me, that's a cooking wine.

To be fair, nobody suggested a boutique winery; those are by definition low-production, artisan houses. There are however, plenty of operations below the Big Three in BC alone that produce 25,000-50,000 cases of annual production; surely adequate to provide a label that meets Air Canada's er, exacting standards. Using the lack of volume as a factor is an easy and perhaps lazy excuse; Yiu would be more accurate if he stated "volume at the price we're willing to pay".

Did anybody look at that dish at the bottom of the linked article in the OP? It seems to me more of an accident in a teflon fry pan than some sort of Signature creation.

WaytoomuchEurope

But said friend then wouldn't label all Canadian wine as "terrible". There is a lot of terrible Canadian wine, like there is in every country, but as you and I have identified there's lots of good stuff too. I agree though that wine is entirely in the eye of the beholder, and I actually really dislike wine snobs. If you like it, drink it. Full credit to your wealthy friend who enjoys the JT wines. I personally wouldn't make my gravy with it, but hey, to each his own.

I give my father fabulous and expensive reds occasionally because he loves red wine. I'm pretty sure he'd take his box of Copper Moon over anything I give him any day. We're all different.

I still think AC should just be honest and admit that any wine worth buying from Canada simply costs too much. With people like me aboard their aircraft asking for more wine every 8 minutes I'm pretty sure we'd kill their slim margins.

CZAMFlyer

Hear hear. My cousin* in the UK is a Master of Wine, which I'm told is a pretty big deal amongst oenophiles, and he is good-naturedly, yet mercilessly mocked at family gatherings that inevitably involve wine. But he's actually not pompous about it; he has said "the best wine is the one you enjoy". I personally don't have the knowledge or palate to distinguish the truly exceptional labels, but am happy when I bring him a local BC bottle, he is genuinely appreciative and thankful.

*didn't mean to name-drop in consecutive posts. Nobody likes that guy.

I hope some of the participants of the Quebec DO winery gathering tomorrow manage to pull out some elaborately Pythonesque descriptors when sampling their glasses with all the flourishing swirls n' spits that befit an FT crowd.

yyznomad

Of course. Just like anything else in life. I find that wine and beer incite stronger opinion wars than say, Scotch Whiskey and Whiskey, for example.

However, my understanding was that your initial comment was in relation to a blanket statement made about all Canadian wines? I could be wrong, as I am wrong about 98.2% of the time in this forum.

yyznomad

I rummaged through some old menus... here is an example from one AC international J "Executive First" TATL wine menu from April 2004... just as a data point for those curious about Canadian vs. World wines on the menus back then:

White Wines

• Wild Horse Canyon Cordillera, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
• R.H. Phllips, Chardonnay, Dunnigan Hills, California

Red Wines

• Château Des Charmes V.Q.A., Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
• Château Du Vieux Puit Bordeaux, Premières Côtes De Blaye, France
• Santa Digna Cabernet Sauvignon, Curicó, Chile

Regional Selections
We are pleased to offer the following wines on flights to/from Israël:

• Carmel, Private Collection, Sauvignon Blanc
• Carmel, Private Collection, Merlot

Looking at other international J menus from recent and further back... some have zero Canadian wines. I believe this is status status quo, IIRC.

Bohemian1

I agree and most are not naive enough to believe that cost isn't the determining factor here. fair enough, they have a business to run and can make whatever decisions they like. As a consumer that will or won't impact me in a way I care about.

I'd rather have functioning seats than better wines for example. But maybe if they got rid of Kit Kats they could squeeze in the odd bottle of better Canadian wine.

After all, who would really miss the Kit Kats ???

SFX: Background sound of ticking time bomb.

skybluesea

@Transpacificflyer

Agree and since when do most products that any FF buys today have the name of the country on it - but of course I'm a Philistine when it comes to airlines routinely buying tickets from airlines with first names "Ryan", or entire continents "Asia"

So why would AC source locally, when it is supposed to be a global carrier with increasing global customer base?

While I drink very little alcohol any more, and NONE before or during flight instead prefer only sparkling water, seriously, folks really believe whatever wine is served is that good at 6,000-8,000 ft in a pressurized cabin.

ps...my favourite restaurant in Rome, the Cavalieri in the HIlton has a menu just for sparkling water - 15 at last count - and most cost more than the $15 Cdn wine referred to above

MQS007

Interesting: My most recent survey from Air Canada was seeking my opinion of Air Canada's wine selection. My answer, I want a good chardonnay grape, my preference is Burgundy but a good Californian or even Ontario is fine, and then I want a good Merlot again country of origin is not so important to me. What I don't like is the AC wine roulette with blends or grapes I have never heard of from regions that are not in my top 5.