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Best experience for me was on a Lufthansa flight where I was just one of two passengers in business class. The other passenger refused the champagne, so when I said yes to a glass, the flight attendant just set up an ice bucket next to my seat and dropped a full bottle of Dom in it. Spectacular.
Flying Business on Singapore Airlines 20 years ago, for some reason I was upgraded to first between Hong Kong and Singapore. A relatively short flight and I had to go in to (alcohol-free) work after landing. Nonetheless I spotted Gruard Larose on offer on the wine list, so had to have a glass. It was all I remembered it to be! They had opened a new bottle so I wondered, and then asked, what would happen to it. Due to Singapore regulations, it had to be emptied before landing (down the drain) and no, unfortunately, they were not allowed to give me the open bottle to take with me. I was bummed. A few minutes before landing , however, they approached me offering me a bottle of Evian, which they were allowed to give me. It had a distinctive red colour and wonderful pallet when consumed later that evening! Still love Singapore Airlines.
I dont think many people have ever worked this hard on a first class flight! Wine tasting at such a high altitude with a screwed up sleep schedule must be rough, and then there's no spittoon available!
The last time I flew on Emirates 1st, I asked to try every wine on the list. They joked “you want them at the same time?” And I said yes! And I was shocked to see them agree and then bring 10 small wine-tasting glasses. Incredible experience! I had the biggest headache the next day.
Best wine I've ever had by far was on a 12 hours Air France flight in First Class, with a coq au vin, the meal was obviously delicious but the wine was enough to bring anyone of us here to tears, literally. The absolutely amazing Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1989 was not only the best wine I tasted above ground, it was one of the best 20 wines I've ever had in my life.
I flew Qatar first class from BKK to Doha this August, then business class from Doha to Boston. Had Graham's 40 yo port and 2014 Rauzan Segla on my first leg, Duroy rose prestige and Kracher beerenauslese on my second leg, guzzled more caviar than ever in my life. Fell in love with wine after this amazing experience.
Great video Konstantin. My advice to anyone travelling first class on Emirates is: 1. Do not drink in the lounges. The wine is much better on board. 2. The food in the Dubai lounge is very good, particularly at breakfast. Make sure you go to the lounges in the bigger Dubai terminals. 3. Do your research before you board. The wine list is available to view online on their website. There are many wines to choose from and obviously you can't drink them all. 4. There is often luck involved. Occasionally you will have a first growth, a P2 champagne or a Rose champagne. 5. Get changed into the pyjamas straight away. You will feel much more comfortable.
You've been entertaining, informative and practically indispensable as I prepare for my first wine exam! Thanks for your great insights, top-notch production value, and lovely attitude. Cheers!
FINALLY! A airline review with a focus on the wine, the majority of the airline vloggers are of all the other frills of flying business/ first. They get distracted by the caviar…. Oh wait you enjoyed it as well! 😅🤣 but seriously at that higher price level the wines need to be given much more thought. All of your comments were spot on regarding varieties they COULD try but so often don’t. As Bordeaux and Burgundy have such big reputation around the world , it’s a shame there are no similar quality wines from other regions. It is also disappointing and an oversight to take of a wine like Unico and not replace it. A fantastic video and yes I think its default One night in Bangkok plays in your head. Just like if you travel to or through Baker st in London.🍷👍😎🎶🎵
What a fun video! As a frequent flier it’s great to see someone seriously review the wines on board. I fly business a lot where the wines vary from what I’d consider excellent (Qatar - top wine will probably be an un-aged 3rd-5th growth Bordeaux) to decent (BA, Singapore - perhaps a good Aussie Shiraz or South African blend) to poor (Malaysian/LATAM/Finnair- a cheap crus bourgeois, if you’re lucky). Emirates 1st is well reckoned to be the best of the best when it comes to wine in the sky. I don’t think anyone else serves grand cru burgundy, let alone aged burgundy/bordeaux in the skies. It’s definitely a bucket list trip for me to fly them in first once. Agree it would be nice for them to include some other wines in the mix, that’s one area where the likes of Qatar and BA do shine in my experience as you’ll always get a mix of new and old world wines, which gives you a good variety to choose from. Even if lately BA business seems to be almost entirely South African wines ( I guess for the value they offer). Have only flown first a handful of times (almost always as an upgrade), only with BA and find their wine offering is much like Qatar business, but with better champagne (LP Grand Siecle). But man you’re crazy to do Bangkok in a day, why not at least give yourself a few days to enjoy the place? I think part of the joy of flying well, is that it becomes a part of the holiday in itself rather than a journey to be endured. You kinda made travelling in 1st to be an endurance challenge! Although I appreciate the effort, and it made for a great video :)
I sell wine in Thailand and i always fly with Emirates, great video. There is a big and growing community of wine lovers and wine professional in Thailand, i hope you keep coming!
You make me laugh Konstantin, a candid commentary from an Economy toilet!.....and then a superlative commentary from all the 1st class wines paired with some impressive food. A great video showcasing Emirates Airlines and their quality but also what it is like tasting wines at altitude and also on the ground. Looked like you had lots of fun.
You"re the best! Love your videos and I have been watching for years and Learned a lot from your videos. I always use your videos at work for our wine education program. Just wanted to thank you and we appreciate you!
This post makes me sad. Why not? Yes, it is outrageously expensive, but not as much as one might whrn compared to other things in life. Life is about experiences, and money isn't the major hurdle most make it. There's always ways to make money, but there is no way gain experiences except by actually doing them. I have never purchased, will ever purchase a first class ticket, but there are other ways gain that experience. The correct manipulation of credit card points and airline miles for example. You can very cheaply upgrade to first class by buying miles or by making purchases on planes using a miles credit card. It also helps if you are kind to the flight crew. They are not servants or waiters/waitresses, they are aides in your travels. Their primary job is your safety, so bring them a smile of true appreciation, remember their names, and try bringing a gift of something the crew can share. On my last trip to Hawaii, the crew played a game where everyone guessed their added senority with the airline. When they announced the winner, they also announced their favorite passenger. The prizes were upgraded perks that gives some of the first class experience. I don't know your reasons for not ever getting an experience like the one in the video, and im sure it's a tragic one, but to others who are not in such dire situations, especially younger folks who also feel depressed at not EVER being able to travel first class or flying to exotic destinations, please know that almost everyone can, they just need to work at it, and take time to do research for the best and most economical ways to achieve your goals.
First time I have seen your channel, and an excellent video. Lucky enough to try Emirates First just once on a 5 hour flight and, being wine lovers, my wife and I managed almost the whole list. Absolutely spectactular and the crew were so helpful and keen that we should try things. Bravo Emirates.
This was a blast to watch! I’m a bit surprised they were serving 2008 LB due to it not being a great vintage. Having Krug on a flight 🎉. BA First used to have a great wine program. The Concorde Lounge at Heathrow had some amazing wines. I recall having a 2000 La Mission there.
Glad you found a sneaky way to enjoy first class on Emirates. Mine was points to fly from Ethiopia to Singapore via Dubai. With a long layover, I experienced two the first class lounges in Dubai, ate, drank slept and showered, ready fort the same in the air. Dom and 2006 Pontet Canet were the most memorable, but also was being able to try so many wines I wouldn't normally be able to. You didn't mention the dates? Cheers!
My impression is, across many situations extending even to wine cellar/tasting room staff, that hospo relies on brand recognition like "Bordeaux" or "Barolo" or "Napa" and often banks on that sufficing so they don't have to train their staff.
Just because it's you, this is not something that feels like a "just another day in first class" video! Never felt the need to ever go for a first class but maybe this is something id actually like and enjoy for the money. Good for you brother, seemed like a blast!
I'm your Thai fan! Welcome to Bangkok even for a short time. Next time try Korean Air, it has a wine selection from 2019 World's Best Sommelier, Marc Almert. There are quite a variety of wine like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, or even wine Grüner Veltliner from Austria if I remember correctly.
Our palate changes at high altitude. For wines specifically, this has been described very well by Thom Harrow. Dry air and cabin pressure make it hard, if not impossible, to taste the wine like we would when on the ground. Having said that, Tom also found out some full body and fruity wines may still taste at least 'good'. But in all fairness, when in the air and on a plane, best is to avoid the (overly salted) food and alcohol and just drink water. As a frequent flyer in mostly bsuiness class, I never eat the food being served and I drink plenty of water.
Emirates fly several daily flights from DXB to HKG and one of them has a layover in BKK. You can book the BKK-HKG or the HKG-BKK separately as 5th freedom flights (ie not starting or ending in the carriers home country). The one way BKK-HKG was just over 700UKP (it has been increased recently). I did the former a few weeks ago and got pretty much the same wine options on a 2-3 hr flight (plus some great cognacs). I was a bit rushed so I skipped desert and missed the Sauternes, but otherwise it was great. The food was not up to the standard of the wines though.
Amazing video Konstantin. Thank you for sharing your experience, such a pleasure watching your videos. Just a little comment regarding the end of your video. Flight attendants are onboard to make sure that we are safe and sound during the flight, they are not unfortunately wine connoisseurs. Their job isn't to learn about wine regions, food et al. They are professionals who have more important tasks to deal with besides serving passenger, so do not expect any airline to train their cabin crew on that but if you are lucky someday, you might stumble across a steward/ess who's a wine lover, who knows 😉
Finally, someone who pays attention to the wines provided with luxury travel! I hear that Japan Airlines offers Salon to their First Class passengers. But it's reserved for any Outbound flight from Japan.
Well, I really enjoyed that, and even better I was guessing what I'd have chosen, and they aligned perfectly with your reactions, particularly the parings which is very much my thing. Totally agree that riesling is a great food wine for flying, especially with spicy foods. Problem is it's not quite the crowd pleaser that chardonnay and sauvignan blanc are. I do have a soft spot for white Bordeaux, and Emirates does have a habit of including them on the F wine list. Which brings me to my favourite wine experience: coincidentally on Emirates First Class between Bangkok and Hong Kong about ten years ago, the dry Y d'Yquem was served. What a treat! Other flying wine highlights for me have been Yquem (the sweetie) on Qatar F, and Alexandra Champagne on Lufthansa F and amazingly it's also been on Qatar Business for several months until recently.
Mr Baum, you need to do this again… & again. A wonderful vid. Now you can trawl through more of the World’s airlines & rate their wine choices. Simples!
Fabulous installment, Konstantin, thank you. It appears Emirates has set the bar for luxury air travel. Very much enjoy your channel, holler when you’re near Texas!
Great review. Love the honest feedback about both the wines themselves and also the knowledge of the staff. Would be super easy to just praise everything given the wines 😅 in any case, sounded amazing!
I’ve been lucky to fly Emirates first a few times over the years. One tip is that they offer both the business class and first class wines in first and so you need to look at the wine lists online before flying if you aren’t an expert. Having said all that I was fortunate to fly emirates first in February from Paris to Sydney and the standout wine for me was the Antinori Solaia. I don’t remember the vintage but it was an amazing wine.
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I'm surprised you were served wine and given food in economy class. Great hack tip to take a round about trip to get a lower fare. Cool! I've always wanted to fly in those super lux cabins. Funny when you showed the first class wine list I too gravitated to both Jadot wines (French wine is the majority of my cellar). That Latour CC looked amazing (always liked their Corton Charlemagne). The stemware in the ground lounge in Dubai was disappointing given in the cabin that looked like good stemware (Riedel, Schott Zwizel, etc..). It is criminal to serve a Lynch Bages and Leoville Barton in such crappy stemware. Great video Konstantin! Thanks.
I think some of the best wines/spirits in the sky are in Japan Airlines First Class. They serve Salon Champagne 2013 outbound from Tokyo. Utterly sublime wine. I drank the entire bottle, as the other first passengers didn’t seem interested- did they not know what they were missing??? 😂
Ein bisschen Spaß muss sein! Und den hattest Du ganz offensichtlich. Toller Job und äußerst unterhaltsam für die Gemeinde hier. thumbs up! Lt. meiner kurzen Recherche kriegt man diese Experience für rund 3.300 Euro. Das ist ein Wort, aber ich hätte mir das eher noch teurer vorgestellt.
I had the latour 12 corton charlemagne when I had my one and only first class flight with Emirates last year. I had heard other people in the industry talk a lot of smack about that particular wine but I have to be honest, it was totally fantastic. Im glad you also had a similar experience. I will say when you're doing a very long trip that shower is amazing (I was close to 30 hours one way returning to Berlin from Australia)
Pricing isn’t a glitch. Emirates’ algorithm is demand-driven. There many airports where if you have it as the point of origin, fares are lower. FRA is banker-central, so flight costs originating there are high.
What a fun video, thanks! My two hobbies aviation and wine come together 🎉. I must say the economy wine offering looks very decent, especially at those retail prices. You will get much much worse on European of American carriers in economy.
Amazing. I had a great experience on Emirates business for work in 2013. Got chatting to the server about wine at the Sky Bar. Was drinking Veuve vintage and he said "hang on, I'll get you some Dom from 1st class!!!" 😂 Amazing. I recall some great food and wines in business class too. I had some fillet and Phelan Segur 2004 Bordeaux at 6am body clock time!😊
I’ve luckily had 3 top notch wine experiences in first class. The first time was Emirates and I had 2008 Dom Perignon (incredible), same 2011 Latour Corton Charlemagne, then got to compare Sandeman 40 yr Tawny and 2008 Chateau d’Yquem with a sticky toffee pudding. Incredible pairing. Then on Singapore I just had all the champagne I could have. Rotating between Egly Ouriet, Krug 172 and 2012 Comtes de Champagne. There’s nothing like tasting great wine on an airplane.
I would have not hated this wine selection. I have a lot of the Chateau Giraud in my cellar, its an excellent quality wine for a quite decent price. I would have loved to try the Clos de Vougeot from Jadot in the skies, I loved it on the ground. I love this video, very very genuine and enjoyable
Amazing idea for a video Konstantin! I guess its the name recognition that makes them serve Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, more than anything else, people who wanna be impressed get impressed. On the other hand, that name recognition is based on great wines and you didnt complain about sipping well aged Grand Cru Burgundy eh? How much was that ticket again?
I travelled with Air New Zealand this year. Economy! ;-) I don't recall the specific wines, but remember them all being from NZ producers which I found a nice touch. They had a selection of 2 whites and 2 reds on each flight and all were a cut above the typical economy wine level. And the flight attendants knew what wines they are serving, which is not the norm. While I really enjoyed this, especially compared to other airlines, I guess most passengers don't really care as much as we do. I have also noticed most people ordering either "white" or "red".
I was fortunate enough to experience Emirates 1st class a few yrs ago. I can't remember the name but the stand out red was an Aussie shiraz. My highlight though was the 1981 Port served with the cheese then the Paradis cognac!
Loved this, lots of fun. I'm soon to fly "Premium Economy" with Air NZ (forced choice due to circumstances) and despite my annoyance at having to spend extra money I'm actually really interested to see how the service differs. I'm a Kiwi and absolutely think Air NZ has an impressive service even in economy, so let's see... I ALWAYS ask to see the bottle before deciding, even in economy.
Interesting video, and surprising that in First Class on Emirates they knew so little about wine. Flying long haul in economy I have switched to non-alcoholic drinks. As the entry-level quality, dry air, and tiredness doesn't lend itself to a pleasurable wining and dining experience. But thanks for sharing this experience with us. I saw on db that Qatar has hired Anne Kri
I flew Qantas business class for my honeymoon and had the shock of my life when the champagne they served was the exact one we served at our wedding - Jacquart Brut Mosaique NV
Can you make a video about a dilema I have many times. Is it a better choice to buy a better wineyard but not so good vintage or a best year and worse wineyard? Let's say 2016 Barton vs 2011 Mouton. Also is it a better choice second label, great vintage premier cru vs first label worse vintage?
Hi Konstantin, an awesome video! I had a chance to fly FC Emirates once in my life, and the entire wine experience was great, incl. Riesling from Robert Weil or Don Melchor 2015 however none of the above can beat the highlight: that they were serving on that particular flight DP 2003 P2 - what a treat! Cheers! Wojtek
That was completely crazy Konstantin. What a ride. On a serious note, I do agree that the staff ought to know a little bit about the wine or even have written guide with some basic answers. I don't know what wine they serve on my frequent trips with a couple of well known Budget airlines. Pretty awful plonk I guess and I can't bare to drink out of plastic cups.
Emirates served Vega Sicilia Unico from Dubai to Vienna in First when I flew earlier this year. First time ever I said no to an offer to refill my glass of Dom Perignon, and instead had half a bottle of the VSU for myself 🍷
Hi komstantin im flying from Riyadh to Melbourne in first class on EK on christmas day, so what would you recommend. I generally dont get to excited about unless its a pisco sour 😂😂😂😂😂 or campari and soda. Fascinating video. Thanks
Emirates always goes for the bling bling factor that means for the big names. The have an exclusive partnership with LVMH for their Champagne in all classes, no other airlines is allowed to serve an LVMH Champagne brand in the air. Emirates wants to shine as a luxury airline, they don't really care about the quality, but the wine must be well known and expensive.
Really great experience !!! Loved your story. But, only DP ? They are known for more champagnes ? But agree also on your remarks about offering more different regions !
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Best experience for me was on a Lufthansa flight where I was just one of two passengers in business class. The other passenger refused the champagne, so when I said yes to a glass, the flight attendant just set up an ice bucket next to my seat and dropped a full bottle of Dom in it. Spectacular.
Perfect!
Dom on Lufthansa BV? I assume that was reserved for First.
After tasting through the wine selection of LIDL, ALDI and Co. you deserve this one :)
This has to be the craziest idea for a wine video. You should win an award for this one. I bet the final tab was huge. lol, cheers.
I'm pretty sure KB ist a fan of Casey Neistat
its included with the first class ticket
Flying Business on Singapore Airlines 20 years ago, for some reason I was upgraded to first between Hong Kong and Singapore. A relatively short flight and I had to go in to (alcohol-free) work after landing. Nonetheless I spotted Gruard Larose on offer on the wine list, so had to have a glass. It was all I remembered it to be! They had opened a new bottle so I wondered, and then asked, what would happen to it. Due to Singapore regulations, it had to be emptied before landing (down the drain) and no, unfortunately, they were not allowed to give me the open bottle to take with me. I was bummed. A few minutes before landing , however, they approached me offering me a bottle of Evian, which they were allowed to give me. It had a distinctive red colour and wonderful pallet when consumed later that evening! Still love Singapore Airlines.
Woah, that's just bonkers😮
I dont think many people have ever worked this hard on a first class flight! Wine tasting at such a high altitude with a screwed up sleep schedule must be rough, and then there's no spittoon available!
The last time I flew on Emirates 1st, I asked to try every wine on the list. They joked “you want them at the same time?” And I said yes! And I was shocked to see them agree and then bring 10 small wine-tasting glasses. Incredible experience! I had the biggest headache the next day.
Best wine I've ever had by far was on a 12 hours Air France flight in First Class, with a coq au vin, the meal was obviously delicious but the wine was enough to bring anyone of us here to tears, literally. The absolutely amazing Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1989 was not only the best wine I tasted above ground, it was one of the best 20 wines I've ever had in my life.
I flew Qatar first class from BKK to Doha this August, then business class from Doha to Boston. Had Graham's 40 yo port and 2014 Rauzan Segla on my first leg, Duroy rose prestige and Kracher beerenauslese on my second leg, guzzled more caviar than ever in my life. Fell in love with wine after this amazing experience.
Great video. Here's a little bit to help pay for that first class ticket.
Great video Konstantin. My advice to anyone travelling first class on Emirates is:
1. Do not drink in the lounges. The wine is much better on board.
2. The food in the Dubai lounge is very good, particularly at breakfast. Make sure you go to the lounges in the bigger Dubai terminals.
3. Do your research before you board. The wine list is available to view online on their website. There are many wines to choose from and obviously you can't drink them all.
4. There is often luck involved. Occasionally you will have a first growth, a P2 champagne or a Rose champagne.
5. Get changed into the pyjamas straight away. You will feel much more comfortable.
You've been entertaining, informative and practically indispensable as I prepare for my first wine exam! Thanks for your great insights, top-notch production value, and lovely attitude. Cheers!
Thank you!
FINALLY! A airline review with a focus on the wine, the majority of the airline vloggers are of all the other frills of flying business/ first. They get distracted by the caviar…. Oh wait you enjoyed it as well! 😅🤣 but seriously at that higher price level the wines need to be given much more thought. All of your comments were spot on regarding varieties they COULD try but so often don’t. As Bordeaux and Burgundy have such big reputation around the world , it’s a shame there are no similar quality wines from other regions. It is also disappointing and an oversight to take of a wine like Unico and not replace it. A fantastic video and yes I think its default One night in Bangkok plays in your head. Just like if you travel to or through Baker st in London.🍷👍😎🎶🎵
This was a terrific, unique idea for wine related content.
What a fun video! As a frequent flier it’s great to see someone seriously review the wines on board. I fly business a lot where the wines vary from what I’d consider excellent (Qatar - top wine will probably be an un-aged 3rd-5th growth Bordeaux) to decent (BA, Singapore - perhaps a good Aussie Shiraz or South African blend) to poor (Malaysian/LATAM/Finnair- a cheap crus bourgeois, if you’re lucky).
Emirates 1st is well reckoned to be the best of the best when it comes to wine in the sky. I don’t think anyone else serves grand cru burgundy, let alone aged burgundy/bordeaux in the skies. It’s definitely a bucket list trip for me to fly them in first once. Agree it would be nice for them to include some other wines in the mix, that’s one area where the likes of Qatar and BA do shine in my experience as you’ll always get a mix of new and old world wines, which gives you a good variety to choose from. Even if lately BA business seems to be almost entirely South African wines ( I guess for the value they offer).
Have only flown first a handful of times (almost always as an upgrade), only with BA and find their wine offering is much like Qatar business, but with better champagne (LP Grand Siecle).
But man you’re crazy to do Bangkok in a day, why not at least give yourself a few days to enjoy the place? I think part of the joy of flying well, is that it becomes a part of the holiday in itself rather than a journey to be endured. You kinda made travelling in 1st to be an endurance challenge! Although I appreciate the effort, and it made for a great video :)
I sell wine in Thailand and i always fly with Emirates, great video.
There is a big and growing community of wine lovers and wine professional in Thailand, i hope you keep coming!
I've followed you for a while now and always enjoy your videos. But this one was The Best! So much fun!
Thank you Konstantin for taking me on your adventure. Excellent
Once in a lifetime experience and you’re living it for us simple folks.
What an amazing experience, thank you for taking me along with you.
what a treat to experience this, and watch it! also thank you for mentioning the mileage offset. cheers!
You make me laugh Konstantin, a candid commentary from an Economy toilet!.....and then a superlative commentary from all the 1st class wines paired with some impressive food. A great video showcasing Emirates Airlines and their quality but also what it is like tasting wines at altitude and also on the ground. Looked like you had lots of fun.
You"re the best! Love your videos and I have been watching for years and Learned a lot from your videos. I always use your videos at work for our wine education program. Just wanted to thank you and we appreciate you!
How you came up with this idea is beyond me but it’s pure genius how you still made such a subject still informative. Great job!!. Cheers.
I'll never be able to experience flying first class. Thank you Konstantin for sharing your experience, it looks awesome.
This post makes me sad. Why not?
Yes, it is outrageously expensive, but not as much as one might whrn compared to other things in life.
Life is about experiences, and money isn't the major hurdle most make it. There's always ways to make money, but there is no way gain experiences except by actually doing them.
I have never purchased, will ever purchase a first class ticket, but there are other ways gain that experience. The correct manipulation of credit card points and airline miles for example. You can very cheaply upgrade to first class by buying miles or by making purchases on planes using a miles credit card.
It also helps if you are kind to the flight crew. They are not servants or waiters/waitresses, they are aides in your travels. Their primary job is your safety, so bring them a smile of true appreciation, remember their names, and try bringing a gift of something the crew can share.
On my last trip to Hawaii, the crew played a game where everyone guessed their added senority with the airline. When they announced the winner, they also announced their favorite passenger. The prizes were upgraded perks that gives some of the first class experience.
I don't know your reasons for not ever getting an experience like the one in the video, and im sure it's a tragic one, but to others who are not in such dire situations, especially younger folks who also feel depressed at not EVER being able to travel first class or flying to exotic destinations, please know that almost everyone can, they just need to work at it, and take time to do research for the best and most economical ways to achieve your goals.
What a delightful video, not your typical travel log. Thank you Konstantin!
First time I have seen your channel, and an excellent video. Lucky enough to try Emirates First just once on a 5 hour flight and, being wine lovers, my wife and I managed almost the whole list. Absolutely spectactular and the crew were so helpful and keen that we should try things. Bravo Emirates.
This was a blast to watch! I’m a bit surprised they were serving 2008 LB due to it not being a great vintage.
Having Krug on a flight 🎉. BA First used to have a great wine program. The Concorde Lounge at Heathrow had some amazing wines. I recall having a 2000 La Mission there.
Scooped up a 2010 L'Arrivet Haut Brion last year, saving it for a special ocassion next year and really excited to try it!
Glad you found a sneaky way to enjoy first class on Emirates. Mine was points to fly from Ethiopia to Singapore via Dubai. With a long layover, I experienced two the first class lounges in Dubai, ate, drank slept and showered, ready fort the same in the air. Dom and 2006 Pontet Canet were the most memorable, but also was being able to try so many wines I wouldn't normally be able to. You didn't mention the dates? Cheers!
My impression is, across many situations extending even to wine cellar/tasting room staff, that hospo relies on brand recognition like "Bordeaux" or "Barolo" or "Napa" and often banks on that sufficing so they don't have to train their staff.
Seeing that many wines that I need to try - on one trip is just Wild! Deserved! As always thanks for the videoes!
Just because it's you, this is not something that feels like a "just another day in first class" video! Never felt the need to ever go for a first class but maybe this is something id actually like and enjoy for the money. Good for you brother, seemed like a blast!
I'm your Thai fan! Welcome to Bangkok even for a short time. Next time try Korean Air, it has a wine selection from 2019 World's Best Sommelier, Marc Almert. There are quite a variety of wine like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, or even wine Grüner Veltliner from Austria if I remember correctly.
Our palate changes at high altitude. For wines specifically, this has been described very well by Thom Harrow. Dry air and cabin pressure make it hard, if not impossible, to taste the wine like we would when on the ground. Having said that, Tom also found out some full body and fruity wines may still taste at least 'good'. But in all fairness, when in the air and on a plane, best is to avoid the (overly salted) food and alcohol and just drink water. As a frequent flyer in mostly bsuiness class, I never eat the food being served and I drink plenty of water.
Emirates fly several daily flights from DXB to HKG and one of them has a layover in BKK. You can book the BKK-HKG or the HKG-BKK separately as 5th freedom flights (ie not starting or ending in the carriers home country). The one way BKK-HKG was just over 700UKP (it has been increased recently).
I did the former a few weeks ago and got pretty much the same wine options on a 2-3 hr flight (plus some great cognacs). I was a bit rushed so I skipped desert and missed the Sauternes, but otherwise it was great. The food was not up to the standard of the wines though.
Amazing video Konstantin. Thank you for sharing your experience, such a pleasure watching your videos. Just a little comment regarding the end of your video. Flight attendants are onboard to make sure that we are safe and sound during the flight, they are not unfortunately wine connoisseurs. Their job isn't to learn about wine regions, food et al. They are professionals who have more important tasks to deal with besides serving passenger, so do not expect any airline to train their cabin crew on that but if you are lucky someday, you might stumble across a steward/ess who's a wine lover, who knows 😉
Love this foray into travel. I hope to see more in the future.
Wow! This was over the top and fantastic! Merci 🎉
Finally, someone who pays attention to the wines provided with luxury travel! I hear that Japan Airlines offers Salon to their First Class passengers. But it's reserved for any Outbound flight from Japan.
Loved the idea of the video! Great video Konstantin !
Dude...an amazing video, I completely enjoyed it. You are super blessed to have experienced the trip.
What a treat. And a wonderful way to live a bit vicariously through your experience. Thank you.
Well, I really enjoyed that, and even better I was guessing what I'd have chosen, and they aligned perfectly with your reactions, particularly the parings which is very much my thing.
Totally agree that riesling is a great food wine for flying, especially with spicy foods. Problem is it's not quite the crowd pleaser that chardonnay and sauvignan blanc are. I do have a soft spot for white Bordeaux, and Emirates does have a habit of including them on the F wine list.
Which brings me to my favourite wine experience: coincidentally on Emirates First Class between Bangkok and Hong Kong about ten years ago, the dry Y d'Yquem was served. What a treat!
Other flying wine highlights for me have been Yquem (the sweetie) on Qatar F, and Alexandra Champagne on Lufthansa F and amazingly it's also been on Qatar Business for several months until recently.
Mr Baum, you need to do this again… & again. A wonderful vid. Now you can trawl through more of the World’s airlines & rate their wine choices. Simples!
I could not agree more! 🎉
Amazing video idea.
Now it's time for restaurant Alchemist in Copenhagen with the Sommelier table wine pairing :) !
Fabulous installment, Konstantin, thank you. It appears Emirates has set the bar for luxury air travel. Very much enjoy your channel, holler when you’re near Texas!
I was wondering when this video would eventually happen! Congrats!
Great review. Love the honest feedback about both the wines themselves and also the knowledge of the staff. Would be super easy to just praise everything given the wines 😅 in any case, sounded amazing!
I’ve been lucky to fly Emirates first a few times over the years. One tip is that they offer both the business class and first class wines in first and so you need to look at the wine lists online before flying if you aren’t an expert. Having said all that I was fortunate to fly emirates first in February from Paris to Sydney and the standout wine for me was the Antinori Solaia. I don’t remember the vintage but it was an amazing wine.
kislux bags are beautiful and I have never been disappointed with a handbag. The leather is soft and the hardware is durable. The design never goes out of style.
I'm surprised you were served wine and given food in economy class. Great hack tip to take a round about trip to get a lower fare. Cool! I've always wanted to fly in those super lux cabins. Funny when you showed the first class wine list I too gravitated to both Jadot wines (French wine is the majority of my cellar). That Latour CC looked amazing (always liked their Corton Charlemagne). The stemware in the ground lounge in Dubai was disappointing given in the cabin that looked like good stemware (Riedel, Schott Zwizel, etc..). It is criminal to serve a Lynch Bages and Leoville Barton in such crappy stemware. Great video Konstantin! Thanks.
I think some of the best wines/spirits in the sky are in Japan Airlines First Class. They serve Salon Champagne 2013 outbound from Tokyo. Utterly sublime wine. I drank the entire bottle, as the other first passengers didn’t seem interested- did they not know what they were missing??? 😂
Ein bisschen Spaß muss sein! Und den hattest Du ganz offensichtlich. Toller Job und äußerst unterhaltsam für die Gemeinde hier. thumbs up! Lt. meiner kurzen Recherche kriegt man diese Experience für rund 3.300 Euro. Das ist ein Wort, aber ich hätte mir das eher noch teurer vorgestellt.
I had the latour 12 corton charlemagne when I had my one and only first class flight with Emirates last year. I had heard other people in the industry talk a lot of smack about that particular wine but I have to be honest, it was totally fantastic. Im glad you also had a similar experience. I will say when you're doing a very long trip that shower is amazing (I was close to 30 hours one way returning to Berlin from Australia)
Thank you for sharing, one of the funnest videos yet! Who knew you were such a great dancer 🤭
Pricing isn’t a glitch. Emirates’ algorithm is demand-driven. There many airports where if you have it as the point of origin, fares are lower.
FRA is banker-central, so flight costs originating there are high.
Oh fun fact, many airports have non-obvious showers that are either fairly cheap or even free - I always check if I have a layover.
What a fun video, thanks! My two hobbies aviation and wine come together 🎉. I must say the economy wine offering looks very decent, especially at those retail prices. You will get much much worse on European of American carriers in economy.
Amazing. I had a great experience on Emirates business for work in 2013. Got chatting to the server about wine at the Sky Bar. Was drinking Veuve vintage and he said "hang on, I'll get you some Dom from 1st class!!!" 😂 Amazing. I recall some great food and wines in business class too. I had some fillet and Phelan Segur 2004 Bordeaux at 6am body clock time!😊
What a great video. You make me want to fly on this airline. I'm saving my points, so maybe someday!
I’ve luckily had 3 top notch wine experiences in first class. The first time was Emirates and I had 2008 Dom Perignon (incredible), same 2011 Latour Corton Charlemagne, then got to compare Sandeman 40 yr Tawny and 2008 Chateau d’Yquem with a sticky toffee pudding. Incredible pairing.
Then on Singapore I just had all the champagne I could have. Rotating between Egly Ouriet, Krug 172 and 2012 Comtes de Champagne.
There’s nothing like tasting great wine on an airplane.
Fantastic video - I love travel and wine so this is right up my alley!
I would have not hated this wine selection.
I have a lot of the Chateau Giraud in my cellar, its an excellent quality wine for a quite decent price. I would have loved to try the Clos de Vougeot from Jadot in the skies, I loved it on the ground.
I love this video, very very genuine and enjoyable
Amazing idea for a video Konstantin! I guess its the name recognition that makes them serve Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, more than anything else, people who wanna be impressed get impressed. On the other hand, that name recognition is based on great wines and you didnt complain about sipping well aged Grand Cru Burgundy eh? How much was that ticket again?
I asked for this video in a comment on the ALDI video back in August 2024 and it came true !!
Merry Christmas!
I travelled with Air New Zealand this year. Economy! ;-)
I don't recall the specific wines, but remember them all being from NZ producers which I found a nice touch. They had a selection of 2 whites and 2 reds on each flight and all were a cut above the typical economy wine level. And the flight attendants knew what wines they are serving, which is not the norm.
While I really enjoyed this, especially compared to other airlines, I guess most passengers don't really care as much as we do. I have also noticed most people ordering either "white" or "red".
Really great idea! Super nice, arguably one of the most interesting wine videos arround... Cheers!
This is your top 1 video so far. Richtig geil :)
Outstanding content! You deserve it sir! Cheers 🥂
I was fortunate enough to experience Emirates 1st class a few yrs ago. I can't remember the name but the stand out red was an Aussie shiraz. My highlight though was the 1981 Port served with the cheese then the Paradis cognac!
respectfully to us wine nerds - that’s like saying “i can’t remember what luxury sports car i drove but it was blue!!”
Loved this, lots of fun. I'm soon to fly "Premium Economy" with Air NZ (forced choice due to circumstances) and despite my annoyance at having to spend extra money I'm actually really interested to see how the service differs. I'm a Kiwi and absolutely think Air NZ has an impressive service even in economy, so let's see... I ALWAYS ask to see the bottle before deciding, even in economy.
So much effort and money for making a video on a topic most people on earth dont care about.
Wine and travel - two of my favorite things! 🍷 ✈️
Another amazing video, Konstantin! Great stuff! Turkish Airlines serves wines in stemless Riedel glasses. I can't decide which I prefer.
One time I was the only passenger in SWISS First and the FA left a whole bottle of 2012 Pontet-Canet at my seat.
Interesting video, and surprising that in First Class on Emirates they knew so little about wine. Flying long haul in economy I have switched to non-alcoholic drinks. As the entry-level quality, dry air, and tiredness doesn't lend itself to a pleasurable wining and dining experience. But thanks for sharing this experience with us.
I saw on db that Qatar has hired Anne Kri
Anne Krebiehl as their wine director, so that will be interesting to see how they develop their wine list, experience and offerings. Cheers!
That is one bucket list 👌 🍷love your content ❤
I flew Qantas business class for my honeymoon and had the shock of my life when the champagne they served was the exact one we served at our wedding - Jacquart Brut Mosaique NV
Brilliant video.
Tough life!
Awesome idea mate. Thanks for doing this review.
What a crazy experience!!!! Loved it!!
Can you make a video about a dilema I have many times. Is it a better choice to buy a better wineyard but not so good vintage or a best year and worse wineyard? Let's say 2016 Barton vs 2011 Mouton. Also is it a better choice second label, great vintage premier cru vs first label worse vintage?
You deserve it with all your hard work
Fascinating video, K. Thank you!
Hi Konstantin, an awesome video! I had a chance to fly FC Emirates once in my life, and the entire wine experience was great, incl. Riesling from Robert Weil or Don Melchor 2015 however none of the above can beat the highlight: that they were serving on that particular flight DP 2003 P2 - what a treat! Cheers! Wojtek
That was completely crazy Konstantin. What a ride. On a serious note, I do agree that the staff ought to know a little bit about the wine or even have written guide with some basic answers. I don't know what wine they serve on my frequent trips with a couple of well known Budget airlines. Pretty awful plonk I guess and I can't bare to drink out of plastic cups.
Sehr dekadente Art und Weise für ein Wine Tasting 👍🏼
Comme d’habitude … we luv u . Herr Baum
2016 Haut Baitailley, with Krug 171, Gevrey Chambertin 2015 on ANA first, plus some amazing sakes.
nice one, konstantin!
now this is a unique video idea! really enjoyed it
Emirates served Vega Sicilia Unico from Dubai to Vienna in First when I flew earlier this year. First time ever I said no to an offer to refill my glass of Dom Perignon, and instead had half a bottle of the VSU for myself 🍷
The Dubai Lounge looks more like a canteen compared to Zurich.
Hi komstantin im flying from Riyadh to Melbourne in first class on EK on christmas day, so what would you recommend. I generally dont get to excited about unless its a pisco sour 😂😂😂😂😂 or campari and soda. Fascinating video. Thanks
This was great! I wonder if they had to wheel you out of the plane at the end🤣🥂🍷🍾
You can repeat on the BKK HKG route for less than $500! They also serve Paradis cognac too!
Emirates always goes for the bling bling factor that means for the big names. The have an exclusive partnership with LVMH for their Champagne in all classes, no other airlines is allowed to serve an LVMH Champagne brand in the air. Emirates wants to shine as a luxury airline, they don't really care about the quality, but the wine must be well known and expensive.
Great video as always. Instead of doing a same day turnaround, I just can't figure out why you didn't stay at least One Night in Bangkok?
No time unfortunately
Really great experience !!! Loved your story. But, only DP ? They are known for more champagnes ? But agree also on your remarks about offering more different regions !