Neil Perry takes over wine selection on QF

[boomy]

We're taking a holistic approach to food and beverage: The Qantas Rockpool Sommeliers has launched. http://bit.ly/QantasRockpool

Not a big fan of the term 'holistic' but I'll give it a chance. So far the f&b offers in Y are pretty good, the more premium cabins require some improvements.

Let's see what the Rockpool team can do.

 

[tehuringa]

I know David and Sebastian from Rockpool well and while they will do a great job, I'd like to see the forging of closer ties with the Australian wine industry rather than this.

 

[RooFlyer]

Question: I imagine the degradation of or change in one's taste buds with respect to wine in the air is the same as it is for food?

I saw on the 'Airport X Ray' show the other night that at FRA, Sky Chef and/or Lufthansa have a mock kitchen and cabin (IIRC) which is pressurised to cruising altitude equivalent and they taste their proposed menus and bev in that environment. Anything similar done for QF or available in our region?

 

[tehuringa]

Don't get me wrong... the Qantas wine program is excellent with its lower volume requirements meaning a world class lineup of smaller boutique producers sit alongside the larger iconic brands... it is one of the worlds finest.
Why not forge mutually beneficial ties between Qantas & the AUS wine industry... sure wineries whose wines feature on Qantas receive great exposure, often at the cost of deep discounts to get onboard but try this on for size. Change the panel once a year.... have a couple winemakers, a couple of sommeliers (not just from Rockpool group...plenty of other restaurants to shine a light on in Australia), perhaps a wine writer, food writer.
For the remaining slot, hold a competition for your Epicure members... use social media for video entries asking what they love about Qantas, Australian wine and why they would make a great panel member. It would drive possible subs to Epicure, would be shareable content for Qantas and I'm sure the wineries and regional/national wine bodies would get behind it to spread the message via various comms channels. The winner gets to sit in on the panel with the "experts".

Granted no-one chooses to fly an airline because of their wine program, but the opportunities for marketing cross-promotion, brand awareness and brand ambassador roles across industries is lost here.

 

[Rugby]

Thanks Red Roo - look forward to seeing how the change impacts experience in lounges and onboard. I haven't been impressed with the wine selections for our few trips in F over the last 18 mths. The SYD Flounge though has always been good to us - whatever changes don't lose the decanter specials!

 

[maninblack]

I'm sure the Rockpool crew know what they are doing well enough. It depends on the parameters and budget QF sets for them. The food served on Qantas is pretty terrible in J and hardly anything to rave about in F but I don't think it has much to do with the ponytail. It's airline food. The wines lately have been uninspired and often subpar so a change of direction might be for the better.

 

[kermatu]

Well, having seen the release and extra context, I am now rather encouraged by this change. I think some refreshing is overdue. I agree that quality in J and F and in business lounges has been pretty poor of late.

For the premium cabins and lounges, showcasing smaller or boutique wines would be a good thing in my view. The F lounges can surely have a fuller range of established and new/boutique.

I am biased toward Tassie wines -- but even accounting for that, I have been disappointed not to see any Tas wines on QF J flights, or in the Melbourne F lounge. Maybe I've just missed it but on one Cathay J and one Emirates F flight I had Tasmanian drops on both!

 

[JessicaTam]

"Mixologist"! *sigh*

 

[JohnM]

We're taking a holistic approach to food and beverage: The Qantas Rockpool Sommeliers has launched. http://bit.ly/QantasRockpool

Only time will tell whether 'holistic' is enhancement by another name . My mind is open, I hasten to add.