British Airways English Sparkling Wine
- British Airways has announced today that it will be the first airline to serve prestige cuvée English sparkling wines in its First cabin as part of its award-winning wine list this year
- The airline is working with pioneering English sparkling wine houses including Nyetimber, Gusbourne and Sugrue South Downs, to offer a range of new sparkling options across its First and Club World cabins, available on a rotational basis
- British Airways has also carefully selected a rotation of prestige cuvée Champagnes for customers travelling in First, featuring the return of well-loved Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle
- More than 1,300 cabin crew colleagues have completed the airline’s First Service Specialist training programme, which features a bespoke wine masterclass from British Airways’ Master of Wine
- The airline’s global wine collection plays a pivotal role in its investment across the customer experience, following the launch of its £7bn transformation plan last year, and continues to champion the best of British originality
British Airways has launched a selection of award-winning English sparkling wines and prestigious Champagnes for customers to enjoy at 35,000ft, available in its First and Club World (business class) cabins across all long-haul flights.
A touch of English sparkle
British Airways will become the only airline to serve award-winning prestige cuvée English sparkling wine on board, allowing customers to enjoy original sparkling variations from pioneering English wine houses each quarter. From 30 March, customers travelling in First can exclusively enjoy 1086 by Nyetimber Rosé 2014, bringing the taste of summer to the skies, followed by 1086 by Nyetimber 2014 – the very first English prestige cuvée ever to be released – available from October.
Gusbourne’s luxurious prestige cuvée Fifty One Degrees North 2016, which is crafted from exceptional fruit grown in Kent and Sussex, will feature in First from July. A new wine from acclaimed wine producer Dermot Sugrue, located in the South Downs, will ring in the new year from January 2026.
The airline’s selection of premium English sparkling wines continues in its Club World cabin, with several additions for customers to savour on a rotational basis. Customers can continue to enjoy Digby Fine English’s Brut NV over the coming months, followed by Gusbourne’s 2019 Vintage Rosé from July.
Previously served in First, from October, customers in Club World will be able to sip on Hattingley Valley’s Blanc de Noirs, made exclusively for British Airways. The elevated selection of English sparkling wines continues in 2026, starting with Roebuck’s Reserve Brut 2020 from January and Digby’s Leander Pink Brut NV from April.
Customers hoping to sample high quality English sparkling wines before they reach their flight can also enjoy Balfour Rosé de Noirs and Simpsons Chalklands Cuvée Brut NV at a dedicated English sparkling wine tasting area in the airline’s Galleries First lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 5.
Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, said: “We are proud to lead the way in championing provenance and British originality, as we continue to work with the very best wine producers across England and beyond for our customers to enjoy both on the ground and in the air.
“We have selected the highest quality of wines with our customers’ expectations in mind and more than a thousand of our incredible colleagues have undergone specialist training to deliver our award-winning wines through world-class service, every time they fly with us.”
To kick off the launch of the airline’s English sparkling wine list this year, Nyetimber’s owner and Chief Executive Officer, Eric Heerema, said: “It is fantastic to see our 1086 by Nyetimber sparkling wines available in British Airways’ First cabin. We make these wines from only the very best grapes from across our vineyards in the best vintages, and they represent the pinnacle of Nyetimber’s winemaking – embodying outstanding quality, craftsmanship and patience.
“It feels very fitting to partner with a fellow iconic British brand that also reflects these values. We are seeing fantastic growth for Nyetimber sparkling wines in travel retail, and this exciting listing with British Airways solidifies our presence and expansion in this area of the market.”
Raise a toast with the finest First Champagne
The airline’s Master of Wine has also worked with several award-winning wineries to source, taste and select a range of premium Champagnes for customers travelling in First to enjoy on board and in its lounges.
Whilst the airline will continue to serve Pommery Cuvée Louise 2006 in its Concorde Room at London Heathrow Terminal 5, prestigious new Champagne options will now be available on a rotational basis on board in First.
From 30 March, Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle will return to the skies in First, followed by the prestige cuvée Lanson NOBLE Champagne 2008 from July, Bollinger La Grande Année 2015 together with Bollinger PN AYC18 from October, and both Rare Champagne and Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires in January 2026. Those travelling in First from New York (JFK), can continue to enjoy the finesse of Veuve Clicquot’s La Grande Dame 2015.
More than 1,300 British Airways cabin crew colleagues across the globe have completed the airline’s First Service Specialist training programme that features a bespoke wine masterclass crafted by the airline’s Master of Wine. This has enabled colleagues to offer expertise on British Original-inspired food and drink offerings, all delivered with impeccable service on board. Most recently, the airline also launched its Club World Service Specialist training programme, which focuses on delivering a premium and personalised experience for its business class customers.
Since the launch of British Airways’ £7bn investment programme in March last year, the airline has completed more than 695 initiatives, 120 of which have been rolled out across the Customer Experience. Highlights include the launch of its brand-new First cabin due to take to the skies in 2026 and a series of lounge refreshes across its network, with more updates to come this year in London Heathrow, Dubai and Miami.
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