OREANDA-NEWS. March 06, 2013. Cathay Pacific Airways announced its latest wine promotion, which features a selection of wines from France’s Rhone Valley. From 1 March, the airline’s regular Business Class wines will be complemented by a specially selected quartet of Rhone Valley wines.

The promotional wines will be served to Business Class passengers on long-haul and Middle East flights for the next three months.

The four French wines will be served on rotation, so passengers will be able to enjoy one of the promotional wines alongside the regular selection during the promotion period.

The featured wines are:

Delas, St-Joseph “Les Challeys” 2011
Caves St-Pierre, Crozes-Hermitage 2011
Domaine Mas du Bouquet, Vacqueyras 2010
Ogier, Rasteau “Helianthe” 2011

The wines were carefully selected by Cathay Pacific’s guest wine consultant, Ms Yvonne Cheung, Director of Wine for Swire Hotels Hong Kong, in conjunction with the airline’s regular wine selection panel.

Commenting on the wine promotion, Ms Cheung said: “Intrepid, pronounced and provocative – these are the red wines of the Rhone Valley. It is a region that expresses sensory terroir in its youth and majesty with age, the perfect region to explore.”

Cathay Pacific Manager Catering Services Charles Grossrieder said: “At Cathay Pacific we strive to offer our passengers the best possible selection of food and beverages as part of a holistic inflight experience. In addition to our regular award-winning selection, our catering team also selects promotional wines for our premium passengers from time to time, offering them the chance to taste wines of special styles or from wine-producing areas they might not have tried before. I am sure our Business Class passengers will appreciate this selection from the Rhone Valley.”

Cathay Pacific currently carries around 80 different wines suit the differing tastes of passengers from around the world. The current selection includes wines from France, Italy, South Africa, Australia, the United States, New Zealand and Argentina. In 2012, the airline served around 1.5 million bottles of wine and champagne on its flights.

About the featured wines from Rhone Valley

Delas, St-Joseph “Les Challeys” 2011 Delas’ St-Joseph “Les Challeys” is a wonderful example of a youthful Rhone Valley wine which allows us to enjoy the savoury balance of fruit, herb, meat and smoke. From the excellent 2011 vintage, “Les Challeys” is already displaying intensely aromatic, seductive fruit and fine tannins. This St-Joseph boasts 100% Syrah and is abound with fresh, ripe raspberries, stewed blueberries and a reserved undercurrent of minerality - a nod of elegance to the granitic bedrock from which it grows. Take your time to enjoy this expressive wine with herb-roasted meats, rich pasta dishes and hard cheeses.

Caves St-Pierre, Crozes-Hermitage 2011 This Syrah is truly the epitome of the Rhone Valley blend of force and elegance. Caves St-Pierre has produced a wine that is enticing and savoury, alluring and assertive. Need we say more? Crozes-Hermitage is often blended with a small percentage of other grapes, but at Caves St-Pierre, they celebrate purity and use only 100% Syrah. The result is an effusive sensory overload of violets, black pepper, roasted meats, black tea and ripe red fruit. This wine begs for grilled or Chinese slow-braised meats.

Mas du Bouquet, Vacqueyras 2010 This wine shows dark, smoky, and bold notes, with further notes of liquorice, violets, thyme and ripe black fruit. Vacqueyras, located at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail in the southern Rhone, enjoys a sun-drenched climate particularly appropriate for hardworking vines like Grenache and Syrah. It is here in their rocky soils that the Manganelli family harvests these low-yielding vines that produce brilliant, expressive wines. This domaine has been passed down through three generations since it was established in 1947 and its dedication to traditional winemaking methods reflects the decades-long history of the vines and the family. Pair this wine with delicious cuts of beef, lamb or pork to elevate your tasting experience.

Ogier, Rasteau “Helianthe” 2011 This youthful 2011 vintage from the Southern Rhone truly showcases the balance of fruit and garrigue, evident in this beautiful and confident wine produced by the renowned and historic Ogier family. Rasteau only became recognised as its own appellation in 2010, due to its distinct climate and soil variation, dominated by the quartz pebbles that wash down the Rhone river. This Grenache-driven wine, in combination with meticulous vineyard stewardship and true expression of the grape and its terroir, is redolent with blackcurrant, spices and a sophisticated herbaceous note. Finely knit with ripe tannins, this wine has great texture and is perfect with hearty foods dressed with flavourful herbs and sauces.