Why Your Favorite Wine Might Disappoint You If You Order It on an Airplane

By now, you’ve probably noticed from firsthand experience that hurtling through the sky in a tin can does a number on the human body. Whether it’s dry skin, congestion, or swollen ankles, things just feel different at 36,000 feet above the ground, which is why it should come as no surprise that your go-to wine won’t taste the same as when you enjoy a glass on firm ground.

While it can be tempting to stay in your comfort zone when you’re heading on a trip somewhere new, there’s real science behind how you should order wine while you’re on a flight. 

“The single most important sense in our enjoyment of wine – and indeed any drink or food – is our sense of smell,” explains master of wine Tim Jackson, who oversees beverage selection aboard British Airways flights and in lounges. Jackson recalls an experiment he participated in school as a child, when students chopped an onion and pinched their noses while eating it. “It tasted of … nothing!” he exclaimed. “Beyond its texture, you couldn’t tell if it was an onion or an apple – all because our sense of smell had been cut off.”

In the sky, our sense of smell is suppressed due to the change in air pressure and humidity, which is why you’ll generally want to order a wine made with aromatic grapes, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, or Gewurztraminer. These wines will have more pronounced fruity and floral aromas; most winemakers will aim to preserve these notes by using stainless steel or large, old oak barrels for fermentation, as neither of these vessels will impart additional flavors onto the final wine. In particular, Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, is an especially safe bet. These wines are bursting with notes of gooseberry, elderflower, and passion fruit on the ground, all of which are amplified at altitude. 

But that’s not to say Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio (both less aromatic) are bound to disappoint. How a wine is fermented and aged is especially important in determining how these varietals will taste aboard a flight; an oaky Chardonnay, for example, is likely to taste smooth and balanced in the skies. 

If you’re looking to enjoy a red wine on your flight, a big, bold bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah might not be the right choice. 

“With red wines, I look not just for wines with flavor intensity at ground level, but also I look very closely at how much tannin there is and how well-balanced that is with the wine’s flavor intensity,” says Jackson. “If the tannins are very noticeable at ground level, they’ll very likely become dominant in the air, leading to an overly-drying, astringent sensation while drinking.” 

For a red wine that’s likely to please all kinds of fliers, Jackson suggests opting for a Pinot Noir, such as Cloudline from Oregon or Buena Vista from California’s North Coast, both of which are available on British Airways’ first class and club world wine lists. “These have plenty of aromatic intensity and a good core of fruit but relatively delicate, supple tannins, so they always work well in the air,” he explains. And if you really want to amp up the taste, make sure to pack some noise-canceling headphones, which scientists say can provide some “sonic seasoning” to food and drinks, as the loud background noise of a plane affects our taste buds, too. But a favorite playlist and a good glass of wine on an international flight sounds OK to us.