English wine makes British Airways first class list

English wine has received another vote of confidence after British Airways said it would serve Bolney Estate's Pinot Gris to first class passengers.

English still wines have often struggled to generate the same excitement as their sparkling wine counterparts in recent years, but British Airways has gone some way to redressing the balance.

The 2014 vintage of Bolney Estate‘s Pinot Gris, priced at £16 to £17 per bottle in retailers, will be served to first class passengers on all BA flights to and from the US throughout August. It is the first English still wine to be listed by the airline, the winery said.

‘It demonstrates the quality reputation that British wines are now receiving,’ said Bolney’s managing director, Sam Linter.

Other wines on the same list for August include Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne, a Mersault Les Clous 2012 (white Burgundy) and a Chateau Faugeres 2006 Bordeaux wine, as well as a Warre‘s Colheita Port from the 2000 vintage, a BA spokesperson told Decanter.com.

Colin Talbot, British Airways’ head of catering, said, ‘Our customers have very discerning tastes and we work hard to bring them the best’.

He added, ‘We’re always particularly pleased when we can support British business, too.’

The airline said it takes around 500,000 cases of wine onboard every year.

Bolney’s Fox Hole Vineyard Pinot Gris 2014 won a bronze medal in this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards. Judges praised its freshness, describing the wine as ‘expressive and well crafted’ with ‘subtle aromas of flower and pear’.

Updated 20/07/2015 11:27am BST: Article corrected after wrongly stating that Jancis Robinson MW helps BA to select wines. She resigned from this position five years ago.