YARDLEY, PA — British Airways and Korean Air took the top overall honors in Global Traveler’s 2026 airline wine competition, leading a field of international carriers evaluated through a blind tasting of wines served in premium cabins.
British Airways was named Top International First-Class Wines on the Wing, while Korean Air won the corresponding international business-class category in the 20th edition of the publication’s Wines on the Wing competition.
The May 17 tasting at The Ned NoMad in New York brought together winemakers, sommeliers, wine shop owners and other industry executives to judge red, white and sparkling wines without identifying the airlines that submitted them.
Airlines were required to submit five wines — two reds, two whites and one sparkling wine or Champagne — to qualify for the overall international first- or business-class awards.
British Airways also captured both international red-wine categories. Its first-class entry, Alta Mora Contrada Guardiola Etna Rosso 2020 from Sicily, placed first, while Château de La Liquière Faugères 2023 from France’s Languedoc region won the business-class category.
Qatar Airways won the international first-class white-wine category with Leeuwin Estate Art Series Margaret River Chardonnay 2021. Air Tahiti Nui took the business-class white-wine award with Lionel Osmin & Cie “Clos Cancaillü” Le Dernier Carré Jurançon 2015.
Cathay Pacific Airways led the sparkling-wine categories, taking the international first-class honor with Krug Vintage Champagne and the business-class award with Taittinger Brut Reserve.
No overall winner was named for international premium economy because no participating airline submitted the full five-wine lineup required to qualify. Cathay Pacific nevertheless won the category’s sparkling and red awards, while Air Tahiti Nui received the white-wine honor.
American Airlines swept Global Traveler’s North American premium-class competition. The carrier received the overall award as well as first place for sparkling, red and white wines, including Champagne Vollereaux Brut Réserve, High Heavens Vintners “Roaming Elk Red Blend” and Pfaffl “Vom Haus” Grüner Veltliner.
SkyTeam received the Best Alliance Wines on the Wing designation. Global Traveler calculated that award by grouping participating carriers by airline alliance and averaging their overall points.
The Yardley-based publication has conducted the international competition for 20 tastings, while the North American premium-class awards are in their 15th year and the airline-alliance competition is in its 12th year.
Additional results are available in Global Traveler’s August issue and at globaltravelerusa.com.
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