The VistaJet Wine Program, billed as “the first global program” for wine in the air, has been launched by private aviation company VistaJet.
VistaJet founder and chairman, Thomas Flohr, himself an avid collector and investor in wine, said: “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.”
During the development of The VistaJet Wine Program, the company hosted some of the world’s foremost wine experts 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 in a pressurised cabin.
Visits to exclusive vineyards were also included as part of the flight.
VistaJet invited popular oenophiles including Sofia Coppola, Andrea Bocelli, Jeannie Cho Lee and Daniel Boulud to contribute to The Wine in the Sky Questionnaire, a compendium of considered suggestions for tasting, serving and transporting wine on travels around the world. Published in collaboration with Assouline, the book serves to advise on how to select the most appropriate wines considering the different effects of flying on our senses. The Wine in the Sky Questionnaire will be available for pre-order from 6 December on Assouline.com and in stores mid-December.
Sourced from some of the world’s most iconic vineyards and personally handpicked by Thomas Flohr, all VistaJet passengers can enjoy the Signature Wine List with wines that take advantage of the effects of flying to perform best in the sky.
Adding a discovery aspect to the signature offering, The VistaJet Wine Club will allow members to explore the world of wine with 12 carefully selected wines each year, tasting two new bottles every other month from a range of producers and grape varieties around the world. To further enhance the experience, VistaJet Cabin Hostesses, trained up to WSET Level 2, can organise a blind tasting to assess the characteristics of grape varieties and record notes on tasting cards.
The full list will be disclosed to VistaJet Wine Program members throughout the year.
Through its global coverage, VistaJet provides bespoke access and personal introductions to the world’s best winemakers and wine clubs through the VistaJet Chairman’s Office. With the global Wine Tours, members can also request round-the-world wine itineraries and personal tours of the finest vineyards and wine regions, as well as access to wine auctions and events with fine wine traders and collectors.
VistaJet’s Wine Tours include a three-day experience hosted by Marchesi Antinori, to enjoy a dinner with the family at Palazzo Antinori, tasting wines from their private collections, before visiting their historical vineyards in Tuscany and Umbria by helicopter and staying in the family estates’ exclusive guest houses.
The World of Wine Concierge offers tasting advice both prior to flight and at destination, to help members discover wines and vineyards in any region they’re visiting. The concierge can also assist with acquiring a historic vintage for a special anniversary, giving personalised recommendations about buying wine en primeur and at auction, as well as help arranging safe transportation of wine around the world. Members can request advice from a global network of local experts in North America, Europe and Asia.
