Why Air Canada wine is globally sourced
Feb 10, 2019, 9:07 am
#46
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https://ca.travelpulse.com/news/airl...sommelier.html
Air Canada Aims High With Down To Earth Sommelier
Air Canada Aims High With Down To Earth Sommelier
Feb 10, 2019, 9:41 am
#47
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https://ca.travelpulse.com/news/airl...sommelier.html
Air Canada Aims High With Down To Earth Sommelier
Air Canada Aims High With Down To Earth Sommelier
So, did they approve an increase in her budget?
Feb 10, 2019, 9:45 am
#48
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I don't understand what's wrong with AC sourcing wines from around the world. What's more Canadian than accepting people and culture that is different than ourselves? Sure, Canada does make good wine, but we are not an island, there are plenty of good wines from around the world which may in fact pair better with the context (i.e. food selection and being at 40,000 feet). There have been times where I'd grab a New Zealand white wine to pair with the fish I'm having for dinner. Last I checked, Canada doesn't make Champagne nor Bordeaux wines. Certainly the coffee nor tea served onboard AC flights wasn't grown in Canada.
Should there be more Canadian content on AC flights? If it makes sense - just because it has a maple leaf on it doesn't make it appropriate for the situation at hand. For instance, would you want to have a poutine on a 13 hour flight to Dubai? While it may be Canadian, it's certainly inappropriate for a flight that long. There's a lot to be proud about being Canadian, one of them is this acceptance of other cultures.
Safe Travels,
James
Should there be more Canadian content on AC flights? If it makes sense - just because it has a maple leaf on it doesn't make it appropriate for the situation at hand. For instance, would you want to have a poutine on a 13 hour flight to Dubai? While it may be Canadian, it's certainly inappropriate for a flight that long. There's a lot to be proud about being Canadian, one of them is this acceptance of other cultures.
Safe Travels,
James
Feb 10, 2019, 10:19 am
#49
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Originally Posted by j2simpso
I don't understand what's wrong with AC sourcing wines from around the world.
From the article. Is this a formal announcement?:
Meals in Air Canada’s Signature Service and at their Signature Suite (there’s one in Toronto and another coming in Vancouver) were created by renowned Canadian chef David Hawksworth.
Feb 10, 2019, 10:23 am
#50
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I don't understand what's wrong with AC sourcing wines from around the world. What's more Canadian than accepting people and culture that is different than ourselves? Sure, Canada does make good wine, but we are not an island, there are plenty of good wines from around the world which may in fact pair better with the context (i.e. food selection and being at 40,000 feet). There have been times where I'd grab a New Zealand white wine to pair with the fish I'm having for dinner. Last I checked, Canada doesn't make Champagne nor Bordeaux wines. Certainly the coffee nor tea served onboard AC flights wasn't grown in Canada.
Should there be more Canadian content on AC flights? If it makes sense - just because it has a maple leaf on it doesn't make it appropriate for the situation at hand. For instance, would you want to have a poutine on a 13 hour flight to Dubai? While it may be Canadian, it's certainly inappropriate for a flight that long. There's a lot to be proud about being Canadian, one of them is this acceptance of other cultures.
Safe Travels,
James
Should there be more Canadian content on AC flights? If it makes sense - just because it has a maple leaf on it doesn't make it appropriate for the situation at hand. For instance, would you want to have a poutine on a 13 hour flight to Dubai? While it may be Canadian, it's certainly inappropriate for a flight that long. There's a lot to be proud about being Canadian, one of them is this acceptance of other cultures.
Safe Travels,
James
Canada doesn’t make Champagne or Bordeaux - you’re right. Mostly because those are geographically protected designations. Canada makes amazing sparkling wine and I’d gladly reach for something from Benjamin Bridge or Hinterland.
Bordeaux... that’s a blend of up to five grapes. We grow all of them in Canada. Laughing Stock’s Portfolio Blend would be much better than any Bordeaux Air Canada is serving.
Air Canada serves global wines because it’s cheaper than paying Canadian producers. The economics of Canadian wine are challenging. A $10 Spanish wine is going to drink a lot better than a $10 Canadian wine. I’d challenge you to find a food served on AC that won’t pair with a single Canadian wine and thus needs an international wine - but it’s a waste of time. Our wine scene is diverse enough that it can stand up against anything served on-board.
edited to add: I don’t mean AC should serve Cellared in Canada plonk... nor should they serve bad Canadian wine just to be Canadian...
Feb 10, 2019, 10:29 am
#51
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I believe some of the more celebrated Canadian wines and craft beers & distilled spirits simply can't produce the volumes that Air Canada requires, never mind the higher costs and logistical challenges for the products themselves. There is - at the risk of blending a pair of threads - perhaps opportunity to showcase more local 'micro' products to captive audiences within Signature Suites as they open.
Feb 10, 2019, 10:48 am
#52
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Feb 10, 2019, 11:39 am
#54
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Joking aside, I disagree with you on the economic side of things. I have no doubt that AC could get as good a deal on locally sourced food & booze. If anything Canadian booze should be cheaper than foreign since a Mill Street has less cachet than say a Heineken or Stella! Something about big fish in small sea (or something like that). Also CAD is a lot cheaper than other currencies. I can't comment on the duty situation for AC (i.e. does AC have to pay duty on domestic booze but not foreign?).
That being said, to say there's no difference between Canadian booze and those produced elsewhere is quite frankly wrong. There are entire types of booze you cannot get in Canada (absinthe anyone?) and the various regions of the world produced markedly different flavour profiles. Canada doesn't have range of climates you find in the world's wine growing regions so there is bound to be things missed by all Canadian wine growers.
Safe Travels,
James
Feb 10, 2019, 1:43 pm
#57
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I think both use a blend of Canadian and international grapes (Sawmill Creek states exactly that on their boxed wine), but I used both these products as tongue-in-cheek examples of the low-quality stereotype that many people still harbour towards Canadian wines. We produce some excellent 100% Cdn-grape wines here; these two Arterra-owned brands are not among them.
Feb 10, 2019, 4:44 pm
#59
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You know what they say when you assume
How does AC make the determination of wine to stock various flights? IME on Domestic flights in Canada/USA in Y it seems like they give you a mini-bottle as you pointed out. I believe a similar thing is try with Rogue INTL (i.e. on my recently flight to MAN there was the option of buying booze). OTOH having flown AC mainline TATL in December they had 750 ml bottles they'd pour out of when you'd request wine. IIRC the quality of the wine was average (IIRC both the red and white were from the Niagara region) , if not slightly below the stuff they stock in J on Via Rail! I haven't flown AC TPAC before (not even their signature yellow-stripe service to HKG ) - do they serve complimentary booze on those flights? How does it fare to the TATL offering?
Is there a difference in the what's stocked between Y and PY? What about PY and J? I'm guessing Dom and Krug are no longer on the menu for J?
Safe Travels,
James
) - do they serve complimentary booze on those flights? How does it fare to the TATL offering?Is there a difference in the what's stocked between Y and PY? What about PY and J? I'm guessing Dom and Krug are no longer on the menu for J?
Safe Travels,
James
Feb 10, 2019, 4:45 pm
#60
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