American Airlines updates lounge wine lists
Master sommelier Bobby Stuckey designed two complimentary wines for AA's Admirals Club, one of which is the Veloce Bianco, seen here
American Airlines will debut new wines this month in its Admirals Club lounges, Flagship Lounges and Flagship First Dining, with the goal of providing "diversity of choice," according to a June 13 press release from the airline.
Passengers visiting the Flagship Lounge at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) will be able to enjoy bottles from the Finger Lakes region. Guests at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) visiting the lounge can select from Northern California vintages.
Bobby Stuckey and Desmond Echavarrie are the two master sommeliers — of only 255 worldwide — on American Airlines' team. The duo is tapped to help in the airline's wine selection, a quarterly process that takes more than a year and involves the sampling of more than 900 wines.
Stuckey commented in a press release from the carrier: “We’re diligent in offering a broad selection of wines so that every wine drinker can find something they like when traveling. We look at it more like putting together a restaurant wine-by-the-glass menu. Customers can go for a great glass of Champagne or a full-bodied red and everything in between.”
The Admirals Club wine list includes two exclusive complimentary wines made for AA by Stuckey under the labels Veloce Rosso and Veloce Bianco. Grape producers from Southern Italy joined forces with Stuckey and his team to develop wines that were "aromatic, bright and crisp."
