British Airways Updating First & Business Class Champagne Selection

The Jeeper Grand Rosé NV is a wonderful Champagne. Here are some recent awards: ✭✭ Le Guide Hachette des Vins 2017, 95 points James Suckling Silver (Outstanding) International wine & spirits competition 2017, Silver Medal – International Wine Challenge – 2017, Silver medal – Best French Wines for Asia Awards – 2017 Silver medal – Sakura Wine Awards Japan – 2017 ✭✭✭ Wine State Magazine (Australia) – November – 2017 James Suckling said “This is a fantastic rosé that shows subtle strawberry, fresh bread dough and chalk aromas and flavors. Full body, very vinous and fruity yet bright and delicious. Creamy texture. The blend of the best chardonnay from the producer fermented in barrels and pinot noir. Drink it!” The young Chef du Cave, Marie-Luce Thierry at the age of 30 is turning heads in Champagne. She was recently a finalist in the International Wine Challenge Awards for International Sparkling Winemaker of the Year. If you are lucky enough to be in a BA lounge. Enjoy!

@Woot ---> I don't mean to paraphrase Bill Clinton here, but it all depends upon what your definition of "cheap wine" is. I don't find any of the aforementioned wines to be "cheap." While some are indeed less expensive that others -- and certainly the wines being served by SQ in F *do* cost more than those served over at BA in F or J -- all of the wines¹ are ones I would happily have in my glass, and on my table...even the Gusborne. While some people (who, no doubt, have never tried "English fizz") may scoff at the thought, the overall quality of wines like Gusborne, Nytimber, Camel Valley, Chapel Down, and others is truly excellent -- significantly closer in style to Champagne² than the overwhelming majority of California sparklers (as one might expect), Spanish Cava, or the sparkling wines made elsewhere around the world. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ @Kerry ---> I think you hit the nail on the head: the retail pricing of wines like Gusborne and others is, at the moment, the biggest stumbling block (besides limited availability) to more people drinking English sparkling wines. It is indeed possible to still find cuvées of Brut Champagne for the same or even less than the price of English wines, and consumers are understandably opting for the *name* Champagne. It's a relatively quality, and even those who have never tasted (e.g.) Dom Pérignon or Louis Roederer Cristal *know* they're good...they're famous -- household names like "Lafite," "Kleenex," and "Band-Aid." The future of English sparkling wines is, IMHO, not in any doubt. One glass convinces people of the quality; it's just a matter of getting that glass into consumer's hands, and there is where price is a deterrent. _______________ ¹ Of all the wines Lucky mentioned in the article, the only one I am not familiar with/tasted personally is the Champagne named for the US Army's General Purpose vehicle from World War II, the Willys "Jeep." ² In 2015, the Champagne house Tattinger acquired land in Kent for a vineyard and has plans to produce sparkling wines in England, just as they did in California (Domaine Carneros).

If airlines want to serve cheap wines then so be it, but then they have to stop charging $5000 ow in F. They cant have it both ways!

@Varun Susarla There are actually a couple of excellent English sparkling wines that have really come along in the past few years (thanks global warming!). What I find interesting about this is the publicity angle - as several have commented the best English sparkling wines suffer because they retail at the same price (or more) than a comparable champagne from a brand that is far more recognised. While it’s great to see BA supporting British products, I suspect most international customers would consider the option cheap (which ironically it is not). And it certainly shouldn’t be a First Class wine, they should offer this in business if they want to, it’s equivalent to a solid/mid range Champagne in quality.

Hmmmm.... Lucky, it appears the way in which I wrote my response eliminated much of the text from appearing on the page. (Ooops.) Bottom line: None of the bottles being poured on BA are very expensive, but they are all very good wines. Most retail here in the US for between $45-50, with one being about $80. Your "$400" example of the 2004 Krug in Singapore F is misleading (IMHO). This Champagne can easily be found at retail in the US for ~$270/btl. Wholesale cost in the US is $180/btl. Restaurant pricing here in the US is generally starts at $500-570, but can go up from there. As retail pricing is a far more accurate measure of pricing, I'd call the Krug 2004 a $270 bottle...$300 if you really insist on rounding to the next $100.