The Fort Knox where Emirates stores 3.75-million bottles of wine
The airline has spent $500m in the past 12 years to develop the finest wine list in the sky
New York — On just about any given day, at any given altitude on an Emirates flight, you can order a glass of Dom Pérignon. If you are flying first class, you might find a Premier Grand Cru Classé from Château Figeac, a highly rated red in the Saint-Émilion region of Bordeaux. And if you are really lucky, you might be able to order a 2005 Sauterne from Château d’Yquem, the superior first-growth winery that was a favourite of Thomas Jefferson and is now owned by LVMH. Since the Dubai-based airline began its wine programme 12 years ago, it has spent more than $500m to develop the best wine list in the sky. It is a modern, temperature-controlled, light-deprived location that stores 3.75-million bottles of wine in their original packaging, in boxes and on palettes. The company chose Burgundy is for the simple reason that ports are a few hours south with temperature-controlled containers where bottles can be shipped to the preferred destination. "It’s not very sexy," he says. "But it is ...
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