The Auswine Forum

I haven’t flown Qantas long haul in a long time and I don’t think I have ever flown with them in a premium cabin but tonight I am flying LAX to SYD in Business. I am not OneWorld Emerald at the moment, so I can “only” use the Business lounge. But still, given Australia’s reputation for wine and Qantas being the champion of Aus I thought it couldn’t be too bad, right?

Well.
What the? Angoves Moscato? I9 Crimes “Hard Chard” from “SE Australia”? I don’t know about I9 crimes, but this Chardonnay is a criminal disgrace as an advertisement for Australia. It reminds me of how Aussie Chardonnay used to taste, and not in a good way.

Maybe skip the wine and go for a gin and tonic instead. I'm sure the beer options are equally bad

I have been flying QF premium since 2005. The wines went off the cliff on board and in lounges circa 2009.

Rocky wrote:I have been flying QF premium since 2005. The wines went off the cliff on board and in lounges circa 2009.

+1, of the few times a year that I am in a lounge or flying its either an ale or a G&T...even the bubbly served is rubbish.
Cheers Craig

First Class bubbly is good.... Comtes.
The rest is an absolute disgrace, $25 shiraz, $40 pinots. When I can fly Emirates instead of Qanti, I do. Unfortunately, there is no decent alternative to our national carrier to the West coast of USA.

I've noticed this on domestic QF flights and recall St Henri being served in business around 20 years ago. Not any more. Qantas is no longer a premium brand. I'm happy flying Virgin and Jetstar as there is very little difference and it's much cheaper. Recently flew Qantas and they were loading plane from the back so you are in danger of getting drenched on the tarmac. I now drink beer in the lounges. Wines are cheap and nasty.

QF play the national carrier card at the highest level politically and have had more than a favour or two extended over the years.

I would have hoped they were bigger supporters of our wine industry by presenting our wine more expertly. You could have the attention EK does but at a fraction of the cost if clever.

I think people would be a little shocked at how some airlines choose, tender and what the final cost of a bottle of Business Class wine may be. I know folks on airline wine selection panels around Asia and is often a comical process. SQ and EK amongst others take things far more seriously.

When I started flying airliners (early 90's ) First Class from MEL- PER was very special. Lobster etc- by top of descent service finally completing with mixed fresh berries drowned in cognac. All this on a domestic service! Wines were Henschke Keyneton, Langi and 389- that I recall from room parties afterward.

To be honest, flying business class for me is just a flat bed. I often fast as I'm either coming or going to some wonderful wine region or feeling super fit after pursuing an active adventure somewhere- why waste the calories? Food is just as appalling as the wine and if by chance it tastes OK, its so bad for you- loaded with extra sodium, sugar and fat for altitude considerations.

Just now a couple of weeks back from Mel-Syd-Bkk, Bkk-Cnx-Bkk, then Bkk-Sng-Mel, all business fortunately. Standard of wine in business lounge and business class was very very average. The Bkk-Sng leg was CX, so, much better wines. QF should certainly lift their game, it's like they are not even trying at the price point they choose, they could do much better, let alone spend just a little more for some wines that could some extent showcase Oz as a wine producer. Jamie, I certainly agree with your "national carrier" comments

Not many business lounges or airlines even serve decent wine anymore...

Emirates in Dubai does...and sometimes serves their 1st class wines in part of the business lounge.
BA is really bad..
AA is generally bad (although some Business lounges are better).
Cathay was pretty ordinary as well...

All of the effort seems to go just to First class....

Couldn’t agree more on Qantas, the lounge wine is awful. Slightly better in business on the plane but not much. Like Chuck I recall being served St Henri 7-8 years ago in Premium Economy. Different world compared to Emirates where I was served 1985 Ducru-Beaucaillou in the Dubai lounge last year!

Maybe they can't afford the inflated price of St Henri these days

felixp21 wrote:First Class bubbly is good.... Comtes.
The rest is an absolute disgrace, $25 shiraz, $40 pinots. When I can fly Emirates instead of Qanti, I do. Unfortunately, there is no decent alternative to our national carrier to the West coast of USA.

Do you get Comtes on Qantas Link?? Flying to Port Lincoln in a couple of weeks

Cheers Craig

In my experience over the past few years, almost all Business, none of them were much chop at all. BA, Singapore; lounges weren't better than the planes (Changi worse, in fact!). Lufthansa is dire. Recent experience is all Etihad; again pretty nondescript. I did have some 1st flights with them last year; better, but far from great. Did I post those notes here? - I'll check...
Graeme

yes, I did:
[url]http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.php?f ... 46#p158346[/url]

Young colleague of mine was in the Emirates 1st lounge in Dubai (all points I think) last year and texted me the wine list. Go the Haut Brion, I said, as first choice, but try them all!
It's almost a surprise to see how well the arab airlines do the wine (in comparison to the westerners) - but you may be out of luck if you ask a wine question on the plane. Point to the menu instead!

Surprised SQ gone to the dogs too.

Ian S wrote:Maybe they can't afford the inflated price of St Henri these days

That raises another interesting question that popped into my head.... and probably I should post as another thread/topic BUT

Now that certain wineries have put all their eggs in the China Basket, and by all reports the US business is struggling (at best),
I wonder what effect this will have on their 'premium' wines sales going forward. Surely (and Jamie noted it in another thread)
this Virus and the shutting down of entire cities, will have a flow on effect for sales.

I wonder if we will see price corrections and/or discounted sales from cancelled orders shortly.

I guess the only saving grace is (providing they are prepared to foot the storage/holding costs) these wines can be sold
in a year or two as 'back vintages'. Anhoo just random ramblings and thoughts.

One possibility is sales may spike Rossco.

This from what I saw over the weekends. People aren't going out to restaurants but entertaining at home - and drinking way more!

But of course if we have an economic meltdown with job losses. Different story.

JamieBahrain wrote:One possibility is sales may spike Rossco.

This from what I saw over the weekends. People aren't going out to restaurants but entertaining at home - and drinking way more!

But of course if we have an economic meltdown with job losses. Different story.

WOW, now that IS an interesting development. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

I'm supposed to be going through Hong Kong next week. With a 13 hour layover I need to decide whether to endure it at the airport or make a trip downtown to Nathan Road and run the gauntlet. So far I am opting for the downtown trip - better food and a chance to browse for any wine deals.

Edit: I will be flying out on Air Canada cattle class and expect I will be served the same wines I was served on my outward journey, a couple of wines from southern France. They weren't anything special but certainly caught my attention because of the blends. The white was a sauvignon blanc-mauzac-colombard blend, and only 12%, while the red was a grenache noir-syrah-marsalan blend of 13%. Both were pleasant in their own way and very servicable in the context of airplane meals.

If anyone is interested I have a copy on the Qantas inflight wine guide from 2009? PM and I will email it.

Could be interesting ...

JamieBahrain wrote:One possibility is sales may spike Rossco.

This from what I saw over the weekends. People aren't going out to restaurants but entertaining at home - and drinking way more!

But of course if we have an economic meltdown with job losses. Different story.

wishful thinking, Jamie. From first hand accounts, sales have been nothing less than disastrous for the past fortnight.

The whole impact of this disease has been woefully underestimated in Australia, although it's consequences are now finally being felt. Aside from restaurant closures (including several announced by the Lucas group this evening) there are now tourism company collapses, hotel company closures and even helicopter company busts. The effect on the Australian economy is going to be absolutely huge, and you can expect a stock market crash any day now.

felixp21 wrote:The whole impact of this disease has been woefully underestimated in Australia, although it's consequences are now finally being felt. Aside from restaurant closures (including several announced by the Lucas group this evening) there are now tourism company collapses, hotel company closures and even helicopter company busts. The effect on the Australian economy is going to be absolutely huge, and you can expect a stock market crash any day now.

Stocks starting to feel it but the bond market and currencies have been pricing it for a while. Fed reserve and then a slew of central banks will likely be forced to cut rates soon...Bank of Korea should go this Friday.

felixp21 wrote:The effect on the Australian economy is going to be absolutely huge, and you can expect a stock market crash any day now.

Wait a few weeks and then pick up some cheaper shares?

One of the local airlines here in HKG is on the brink of collapse.

Business Class passengers advised last week no food service - just a bottle of water. Ouch. Economy, well, they get to drink the water of the aircraft ( which often fails testing or if it doesn't gets bombarded with chemicals )

I certainly hope it isn't Dragon Air/Cathay .....

No- both still firing on all cylinders . Enjoy the wine .

Hongkong Airlines

Yes done and dusted evidently .