Here’s something you probably don’t know about eating and drinking on a plane: the cabin pressure makes very little difference to your sense of taste and smell.and the associated lowering in cabin pressure. The foods and drinks you enjoy or that taste good change.And that used to be true – but it isn’t any more. A few weeks ago, I sat down with Oliver Dixon, the head of fine wine at MMI, the company that procures wines for Emirates airline.
“The main impact is passenger hydration, which changes throughout the flight,” Dixon said. “This is an underrated and misunderstood issue among passengers – but the more dehydrated a person, the greater the taste impact will be. Hydration is key for enjoying wine while flying.” “There are lots of articles about finding fruit-forward wines with soft tannins,” Dixon told me. “But the key to ensuring passengers have a positive drinking experience for me is acidity. When the acidity is on the low side, the wine loses its shape and becomes lacklustre. So, a prominent acidity is important. It gives the wine structure.”
First class Emirates passengers can drink Chevalier Montrachet grand cru from Bouchard Pere et Fils, which the airline purchased 10 years ago.