I have so much to tell you about recent and pending travel, but mainly my trip last month on the AmaMagna, the flagship of AmaWaterways. I boarded with a select group of the Global Traveler Globility Board for a seven-night trip on the Danube River. I will report more about the cruise in a subsequent issue, but I will say here it was a pleasure to discuss the world of travel with real experts on the subject.
We announced the return of the Wines on the Wing international airline wine competition, taking place in New York in spring 2024 and marking the 17th iteration of the judging event. We have nominated Tom Gannon as wine director for the 2024 competition. Tom and I have a long history of working together and know many of the same people in the New York restaurant scene. We are thrilled to bring back Wines on the Wing and more than happy our wine director is also a good, longstanding friend of Global Traveler.
Tom Gannon enjoyed a long career in food and beverage before becoming the sommelier at Rothmann’s Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan in early 2002. Nine years later, he moved to the Spire Collection, a luxury portfolio of Jackson Family Wines. Splitting his time between Nashville and New York, Tom is a member of the Albany Chapter of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin as well as cofounder and current partner of whiskey brand Harlem Standard.
The team at Global Traveler will contact our airline partners about the wines required to enter the competition. The rules are strict; wines must match the onboard menus in business class, first class and premium economy. If there is no match, airlines can often substitute manifests and purchase receipts to confirm the wines are sevred on board in their respective classes.
The judges, many participating in the survey for years, are top experts in the field. We will share the results with you in the August 2024 issue of Global Traveler.
Until we board, save me a glass of Champagne.
Cheers!
Francis X. Gallagher
Publisher and CEO
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