Midmorning on a Sunday in late June, and I was sweating, carrying my suit jacket over my shoulder as I tried to make my way to The Ned in the NoMad neighborhood of New York City. We had booked the 19th Wines on the Wing tasting many months before with our new venue, and we expected some familiar faces to join us along with a new handful of seasoned wine industry veterans who’d committed to giving us their time, palates and measured thoughts on the slew of wines we would put in front of them. I was grateful to have their support and looked forward to sharing many glasses with old friends when the work was done. But first, we all had to get there.

© Christopher P. Ottaunick

New York thrives on the idea of possibility. Broadway shows, jazz clubs in the Village, the Knicks going deep in the playoffs, Michelin-starred restaurants and museums people travel across multiple time zones to visit … just a few of the infinite choices on the menu. “New York is not a city, it’s a world.” The quote from Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s encapsulates this nicely. Boredom is not an option.

This means, of course, there is always something going on, even on a humid summer Sunday morning when the city empties out a bit. On this Sunday, the 55th Annual NYC Pride March was prepping and the communal joy was palpable, but the roads around the parade route were blocked off, with thousands of people ready to party. We had to make a case to the NYPD at the cordoned-off streets to get behind the barriers in order to reach our venue, located a block away from where the parade was bubbling up to start on Fifth Avenue.

This was decidedly not “New York on Sunday/Big City takin’ a nap.” Eventually, after explaining to the jovial cops and drag queens at 25th Street and Sixth Avenue the nature of what we were hosting, I was let through and arrived at The Ned to begin icing down the sparkling and white wines while organizing everything into flights for efficient service. At a different checkpoint, one of our judges (and GT contributor), Kelly Magyarics, asked to be let through because she was judging a wine competition, with the NYPD’s response, “Well, you wouldn’t have made that up.”

© Christopher P. Ottaunick

The Ned NoMad inhabits a building designed by the Schickel and Ditmars architecture firm in 1903 for real estate investor Caroline H. Johnston. This Beaux Arts landmark, defined by its limestone façade, was converted into The NoMad Hotel in 2012. The Ned, which originated in London in 2017 (with other new locations in Doha and Washington, D.C.) took over the hotel in 2022. It is driven by a member experience much like its relative, SoHo House, also owned and operated by the Membership Collective Group. Its designated member-only spaces attract celebrities seeking its privacy and no-camera policy.

Elegantly appointed guestrooms, Cecconi restaurant, Little Ned bar and event spaces (like ours on the second floor overlooking Broadway) are available to the public.

A big thank you and kudos to the staff led by NYC wine and hospitality veteran Billy Berkis. It’s a small sandbox we play in, and I remembered meeting him at Acme many years ago before he went on to the sommelier team at Danny Meyer’s superb two- Michelin-starred restaurant, The Modern (located in Museum of Modern Art), before becoming the general manager there, ultimately running events for The Ned, a bit more family-friendly job. The Ned is lucky to have him and so were we, along with his most excellent and professional staff, who kept service smoothly humming throughout the afternoon. A very special shout out and a debt of gratitude from all of us to Ronald, The Ned’s “can do” man, who, because of the blocked-off streets, pushed a luggage cart from the hotel on 28th and Broadway to Eighth Avenue and hauled it back, ferrying necessary materials for the competition from the Global Traveler van.

© Christopher P. Ottaunick

In a strange coincidence, the day before the event, I was in the Sky Club in Cincinnati after visiting family when I looked for Global Traveler on its shelves, and the issue on display was our Wines on the Wing from August 2024. I took this as a good omen for a hassle-free flight and considered those who consult the lunar calendar for tasting would be pleased our competition fell on a fruit day. (According to biodynamic planting and growing tenets, wines are more vibrant and show more depth of flavor on “fruit days” versus flower days and especially leaf and root days.) A Happy Fruit Day to all who celebrate.

Overall, 17 New York wine professionals found their way through the revelry to get serious about our Dionysian task of tasting and evaluating the wines sent by the participating airlines. This year’s survey featured 14 airlines eager to have us pop their corks. To the airlines considering entering in 2026: You cannot win if you do not play.

The afternoon began with bubbles, continued through the entr’acte of refreshing white wines, and ended with flights of lighter reds, working up to a crescendo with the most powerful red wines. We cannot thank the judges enough, some of whom traveled into Manhattan from a considerable distance on our sweltering Sunday morning (the Finger Lakes, Montauk, Brooklyn). My old friend Mike Papaleo came in from Sea Cliff, Long Island, to give us his time, despite it being his birthday. Having been in the New York City wine scene for more than 20 years, I am beyond grateful for the dedication and camaraderie our incredible judges exhibit; we include their short bios here.

© Christopher P. Ottaunick

To be considered as the overall Top Wines on the Wing winner, an airline must send in a complete submission of two whites, two reds and one sparkling wine or Champagne. Some fine airlines submitted compelling wines individually, but not all had all three options on their programs.

After tabulating all the scores in the respective categories, the airline our judges ranked as Top International First Class Wines on the Wing was Swiss International Air Lines, a member of Lufthansa Group. SWISS just edged out last year’s winner, STARLUX, at No. 2 and the always impressive offerings of Qatar Airways at No. 3. Stiff competition with an array of wonderful wines, but SWISS came in as No. 3 of Top Sparkling Wines with Pommery’s Cuvée Louise Millesime 2006 Parcelles and — a surprise to some, as it is from Switzerland — the No. 1 Red Wine, Cayas Syrah Jean- René Germanier Vétroz, Valais 2022. As a youngish wine student 25 years ago, I had a class on Swiss wine, and the quality was apparent; however, the country does not produce a lot of wine (roughly 5 percent of the wine made in California), and most of it is consumed in Switzerland. Flying Swiss International Air Lines would be a great way to experience these wines for yourself.

For the Top International Business Class Wines on the Wing category, newcomer to the competition Air Tahiti Nui claimed the top spot over No. 2 Qatar Airways and No. 3 American Airlines. Global Traveler readers know the airline as the GT Tested Reader Survey’s Best Airline in the South Pacific. It further burnishes those credentials with a strong showing here of the quality libations it offers on a flight to the island paradise. It brought us the No. 1 White Wine International Business Class (AOC Les Grands Terroirs Samuel Billaud Chablis 2023) and the No. 3 Red Wine with AOC Margaux Blason D’Issan 2019 (the second wine of the Third Growth Château D’Issan, a classic castle in the Margaux appellation on the Left Bank of Bordeaux which abuts the most famous properties in Margaux, Château Palmer and Château Margaux itself ). Curiously, in the blind tasting, the Blason D’Issan just outscored its big brother Château D’Issan itself, part of STARLUX’s program in the International Business Class category.

© Christopher P. Ottaunick

In North America Premium Class, Aeromexico was the overall winner, finishing ahead of American Airlines at No. 2 and JetBlue with some interesting choices at No. 3. Regarding International Premium Economy, none of the airline submissions were complete in that category, so we did not have an overall winner; however, some of Ethiopian Airlines’ wines scored well, including the Top Sparkling Wine, Pommery Brut Apanace.

For the overall Top Alliance Wines on the Wing, oneworld kept its crown from last year, with Star Alliance in second chasing down SkyTeam, which came close but finished to show.

As we saw last year, Bordeaux features heavily in many wine programs airlines offer their in-flight guests. Prominent examples included Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Léognan 2017 and Château Faugeres Saint-Émilion 2016 from Swiss International Air Lines. Qatar Airways opens Château Cos d’Estournel Second Growth Saint-Estephe 2012 and Château Lynch Moussas Fifth Growth Pauillac 2016, while Virgin Airways offers international business-class guests Château La Vaisinerie Puisseguin Saint-Émilion 2019.

When the tasting and judging came to a close, we slid open the gorgeous and ornate pocket doors separating the room of judges from the room of hidden bottles. Everyone came in to see what wines they had been dissecting all afternoon, and, as always, there were some pleasant surprises. As I poured and shared Champagne for the judges who were ready to evaluate the wines — now purely for pleasure — lyrics from the song “When the Earth Stopped Turning” written by my friend and Broadway composer William Finn (who sadly passed earlier this year) came to mind. “The world is good, you said/Enjoy its highs, you said/The summer flies, you said/So make a parade of every moment/ Now throw away your hate/And focus on what’s great instead.”

© Christopher P. Ottaunick

My glass was full, and indeed we had focused for a whirlwind afternoon on some great wines of the world, making our own parade one floor up from the joyful parade on our city streets below.

WINNERS’ CIRCLE
FIRST CLASS INTERNATIONAL

Top International First Class Wines on the Wing
1. Swiss International Air Lines
2. STARLUX Airlines
3. Qatar Airways

Top Sparkling Wines International First Class
1. Qatar Airways – Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2013
2. American Airlines – Champagne Nicolas Feuiliatte Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2015
3. Swiss International Air Lines – Pommery Cuvée Louise Millesime 2006 Parcelles

Top Red Wines International First Class
1. Swiss International Air Lines – Cayas Syrah 2022, Jean-René Germanier Vétroz, Valais AOC
2. Qatar Airways – Elderton Command Shiraz 2020
3. Qatar Airways – Château Cos d’Estournel, Second Grand Cru Classé, AOC Saint-Estèphe, 2012

Top White Wines International First Class
1. STARLUX Airlines – Schloss Vollards Schlossberg Riesling Grosses Gewäch QBA 2019
2. STARLUX Airlines – Louis Jadot Savigny – Les Beaunne ler Cru Clos de Guettes 2021
3. TIE: Qatar Airways – Penfolds Reserve Bin 20A Chardonnay 2020/American Airlines – Yealands Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2023

WINNERS’ CIRCLE

BUSINESS CLASS INTERNATIONAL
Top International Business Class Wines on the Wing
1. Air Tahiti Nui
2. Qatar Airways
3. American Airlines

Top Sparkling Wines International Business Class
1. Condor – Champagne Pol Hensler Grande Réserve, France NV
2. Aeromexico – Champagne Chanoine Freres NV
3. Qatar Airways – Champagne Duval Leroy Brut NV

Top Red Wines International Business Class
1. Qatar Airways – Kangarilla Road Devils Whiskers Shiraz 2021
2. Aeromexico – Vino Tinto Lagar de Proventus 2018
3. Air Tahiti Nui – AOC Margaux Blason D’Issan 2019

Top White Wines International Business Class
1. Air Tahiti Nui – AOC Les Grands Terroirs Samuel Billaud Chablis 2023
2. Avianca – XIC Agosti Torelló Mata 2024
3. Condor – Sauvignon Blanc Wine Estate Te Awa

WINNERS’ CIRCLE NORTH AMERICA
PREMIUM CLASS

Top North America Premium Class Wines on the Wing
1. Aeromexico
2. American Airlines
3. JetBlue

Top Sparkling Wines North America Premium Class
1. American Airlines – Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Premier Cru Extra-Brut, Champagne AOC, France
2. Aeromexico – Champagne Chanoine Freres NV
3. United Airlines – Boisset “Caviar” Cremant Sparkling NV

Top Red Wines North America Premium Class
1. TIE: American Airlines – Castello di Verrazzano “Rosso Verrazzano” Toscana IGT, Italy 2020/Aeromexico – Vino Tinto Lagar de Proventus 2018
2. JetBlue – Famille Descombe Beaujolais Granite 2022
3. JetBlue – Snowden Cousins Cabernet Blend Napa Valley 2023

Top White Wines North American Premium Class
1. Delta Air Lines – Invivo X by SJP Sauvignon Blanc
2. American Airlines – Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite “Aussières Chardonnay,” Languedoc IGP, France
3. United Airlines – Stag’s Leap “Karia” Chardonnay 2022

WINNERS’ CIRCLE PREMIUM ECONOMY
INTERNATIONAL

Top Sparkling Wines International Premium Economy
1. Ethiopian Airlines – Pommery Brut Apanace
2. Air Tahiti Nui – AOP Cremant de Bordeaux Haut Mouleyre Brut NV
3. Swiss International Air Lines – Millesimato Brut – Casa Bottega 2023

Top Red Wines International Premium Economy
1. TIE: Air Tahiti Nui – Château Le Vieux Fort Cru Bourgeois Médoc AOP/ Swiss International Air Lines – Assemblage de Romandie Domaine les Perrières Geneva, Switzerland
2. Swiss International Air Lines – La Cuvée Mythique – Vin de Pays d’Oc Languedoc- Roussillon, France

Top White Wines International Premium Economy
1. Air Tahiti Nui – Château de Montgueret Petit Saint Louis Saumur Blanc AOP TSCL
2. Swiss International Air Lines – Chasselas de Romandie

Top Alliance Wines on the Wing
1. oneworld
2. Star Alliance
3. SkyTeam

© Christopher P. Ottaunick

HOW WE JUDGE
To participate in Global Traveler’s competition, airlines throughout the world that operate long-haul international first-class service and/or business-class service are invited to submit two white wines, two red wines and one Champagne or other sparkling wine currently on their wine lists, as well as the wine lists themselves. The same rules apply to our North America category, which includes airlines with first-class and/or business-class service beginning and ending in North America.

All wines are coded and divided into flights or categories, according to their type. For example, all New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc submitted would be judged together, as would all Rioja. Wines are presented to judges in code-marked glasses. Judges are told only the type of wine and, when appropriate (vintage Champagne, for example), the year. If judges feel a wine is flawed, a reserve bottle is poured. Professional assistants pour the wines, and GT staff monitor the tasting.

Each wine is judged on a modified Davis 20-point scale. The judges’ individual scores for each wine are added and averaged, and the average scores of an airline’s submissions are totaled. Individual wines with the highest scores and the airlines with the highest total scores win Wines on the Wing awards.

© Christopher P. Ottaunick

JUDGES’ BIOS
CESAR BAEZA is an oenologist and a consultant for the wine industry. A native of Chile, he studied winemaking there and in France, Spain and California, and worked at several wineries. For 20 years he was wine master and co-owner of Brotherhood Winery in New York.

OSKAR BYNKE is co-owner of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, widely considered the standard-bearer at the helm of the Finger Lakes revolution. Over the last decade he and his college friend, business partner and winemaker, Fred Merwarth, have succeeded in placing Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard in particular, and the Finger Lakes region of New York in general, on the global Riesling map, making sure the region is understood for its distinctiveness. Prior to Wiemer, Bynke worked in the wine business with distributors of Diageo and Moët & Hennessey.

J. SCOTT CARNEY, MS, is a wine educator, working in concert with the CMS at both the International Culinary Center in Soho until 2020 and presently at the Institute of Culinary Education in lower Manhattan.

MOLLY CHOI worked in advertising after graduating from Bowling Green State University. From there, she entered the wine world as marketing manager for Cape Classics, a South African and French wine importer, for more than 20 years. She spent two years in the cannabis industry and was most recently with Broadbent Selections as senior vice president of Marketing and Brand Management.

BRIAN DIMARCO is founder, managing partner and master blender at Harlem Standard as well as a classically trained chef and sommelier with more than 30 years of expertise in advertising and marketing. DiMarco founded Barterhouse Wines and Spirits, which achieved more than $100 million in sales and introduced 30-plus brands to the United States and New York markets. He founded Harlem Standard in 2020, offering a modern take on American whiskey.

JOHN FANNING is general manager of Hakkasan, New York. He has been wine director and/ or general manager of other restaurants in New York: The Lambs Club, SD26, Accademia di Vino, Il Trulli, Beppe, Felidia, Coco Pazzo and Palio; and in Rome, Bramante and San Michelle.

DAVID FRIESER is the general manager at McCabes Wine & Spirits, a long-established wine shop located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He has been in the retail wine business for more than 40 years as both an owner and manager. He specializes in the areas of Bordeaux, the Rhône and Champagne. He is an advisor to both corporate and private collectors and has extensive knowledge of both current and rare wines.

AURELIEN GOUSSE works as a winemaker for the City Winery brand.

HAK SOO KIM was most recently head sommelier at Per Se, where he oversaw the restaurant’s beverage program for more than six years. He found his way into wine after a lauded career under the guidance of Plácido Domingo at Los Angeles Opera. In 2012 he took a position as a captain at a modern Korean restaurant, Jungsik, in Manhattan. While he initially entered the restaurant scene as a means of supporting his opera career, he developed a passion for service and wine, eventually leading the wine program as beverage director. He is currently working as a consultant for various restaurants while focusing on returning to the operatic stage.

KYUNGMOON KIM discovered early on he had an exceptional palate. After graduating from Culinary Institute of America, Kim immersed himself in the world of wine. Kim has garnered competition accolades. In Seoul, Kim joined the opening team of Jungsik, where he spearheaded a much-lauded wine and beverage department, and later returned to New York to open a second Jungsik restaurant, managing operations and the beverage program that would garner two Michelin stars. In 2016 Kim achieved Master Sommelier Certification by the Court of Master Sommeliers.

DAVID KRAVITZ has more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry. Kravitz is corporate beverage director for The Group, overseeing its programs in New York; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; and Miami.

KELLY MAGYARICS is a wine, spirits, travel and lifestyle writer in the Washington, D.C., area. She is the Mixology columnist for Global Traveler, and her articles appear in other publications including Wine Enthusiast, SevenFifty Daily and Fodor’s. She also holds a Diploma in Wine and Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. Find her on kellymagyarics.com and on Instagram @kmagyarics.

MICHAEL PAPALEO is vice president of Business Development for Banville Wine Merchants. He has more than 20 years of experience in the wine business. Papaleo resides in Sea Cliff, New York, where he is raising two daughters with his wife, Maggie.

LUCA MESSANA SANTANDER, a native of Manhattan who moved to Florence, Italy, at a young age, cherishes century-old traditions while embracing innovation. He began his career on his family estate at just 5 years old, taste-testing grapes and olio nuovo. After graduating from International Liceo Machiavelli-Capponi with a dual diploma, he began gaining experience in the wine industry by working in Chile, Italy and Oregon. Upon his return to Italy, he received a degree in Oenology and Viticulture from Universita delle Scienze Agrarie di Pisa. As an oenologist, he moved to France to work at a domaine in Burgundy for a year. Later, he moved to New York to oversee production at a boutique cidery before joining Wölffer Estate Vineyard in August 2022.

BOB SHACK spent 18 years with Rémy Amerique as vice president and director of Wine Sales, after which he founded HB Wine Merchants, a small, boutique-oriented importer concentrating on imports from Old World Wineries. He is a member of the  Society of Wine Educators.

DARRIN SIEGFRIED is President Emeritus of the Sommelier Society of America. His Park Slope wine shop, Red, White & Bubbly, was named Best in Brooklyn in The New York Times, and his wine bar, Il Gallo Giallo, was called Best in the Hudson Valley.

ERIC WHITE has worked in wine for more than 20 years and has been general manager of THE WINERY NYC since 2008. He is certified with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust program and American Sommelier Association, among other accolades.