I loved Marie von Ahm’s blog, “Traveling with Champagne!” I’m in that confrèrie too. In fact, often it is the only part of a long flight that I look forward to. With the other airline wines, it’s just hit or miss. Sometimes they’re interesting, if you’re flying the right carriers and cabins. Occasionally national carriers even make a little nod to their countries’ wines. But, normally you just have to figure it’s going to be a pretty disembodied food/wine experience. So there is something to be said for sticking to Champagne and trying to focus your ebbing concentration on not leaving your iPad behind when you get off.
That’s why – and I’m getting to the point – I was almost beside myself when I took a long flight on Swiss International the day before yesterday. I arched a wary but interested eyebrow when the flight attendant said the meals would feature foods from Ticino, one of my favorite Cantons, nestled on the Italian border (it is the best of all worlds, palm trees and glaciers).
But the food (including five Ticino cheeses) came with a selection of awesome Ticino wines. Seriously. It is already one of the smallest wine regions in Switzerland. The reds are mostly Merlot-based; some are light, but the best, well made and from the warmer vineyards, remind me in some ways of good Bordeaux. They are not usually very easy to get ahold of anywhere outside of Switzerland.
Swiss International served a wonderful, full-bodied 2009 Casimiro made by Agriloro in Arzo, Ticino. It was mostly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, but also included Carmenere and some esoteric and other local crossings like Arinarnoa, Marselan, and Egiodola. Spice and thyme on the nose, purely red, rich, balanced, and long. I bet it will get a lot more interesting with five or more years in bottle. But I only had hours. Another one I loved was a white by Viniterra, a Chardonnay/Sauvignon blend (not uncommon in Ticino) that was both big and crisp.
Terroir in the skies! Three cheers for Swiss, their great cabin crew, and whoever does their food and wine planning. Oh yeah, and they got my iPad back to me at my hotel in Mumbai within a few hours of landing. Maybe flying can get fun again.
William McIlhenny is associate publisher of JamesSuckling.com. A former American diplomat and member of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, he held a number of assignments in Europe and Latin America. He works in Washington, D.C.
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