Guest column: Who has time to taste 125 wines?
This is a special feature from the November 2026 Middle East, Asia & Africa issue of PAX International, on page 26.
In this guest column, Amy Jullien, Corporate Vice President at Intervine, explores how specialized wine program management keeps quality wines flowing.
Intervine simplifies wine selection for airlines through sourcing, tastings and operational evaluations tailored to their brand, budget and service requirements
Why would we need a wine program management company if we already have F&B buyers? It is a fair question, especially when airline F&B teams already manage countless products.
When a passenger enjoys a glass of wine in a lounge or on a flight, they are unaware of what happened behind the scenes to get it there. Wine is highly fragmented. Buyers navigate thousands of wineries, importers and distributors while balancing quality, budget, customer preferences and supply continuity.
For buyers, the challenge is not simply selecting wines. It is finding time to evaluate the options. There is no bandwidth to personally source, sample and evaluate hundreds of wines annually, and most buyers do not have formal wine certifications such as WSET or sommelier credentials. A specialized wine program management partner bridges that gap.
Amy Jullien, Corporate Vice President, Intervine
Wine may be a small portion of a F&B budget but can make a memorable impact on passenger perception. A well-designed wine program for lounge and onboard is an extension of an airline’s brand. If not distinct, it is a lost opportunity.
Outsourced wine program management adds value through sourcing, supplier discussions, sample coordination, tastings and operational evaluations. Intervine recently tasted more than 125 wines to create a shortlist of 35 candidates for a customer’s lounge program refresh. The goal is to simplify the airline’s decision-making by presenting a selection of wines aligned with its brand, budget and operational requirements.
Selecting the wine is often the easy part. Maintaining continuity is sometimes a challenge. If that sounds like an overstatement, consider what happened to airline supply chains in the early 2020s. Wine contracts were delayed or renegotiated, shipping schedules became unpredictable, inventory shortages emerged and vintage transitions required constant attention.
A disruption thousands of miles away can quickly affect suppliers, shipping routes and product availability. We help customers navigate those ripple effects by adjusting logistics and finding practical ways to keep products moving. Great wine programs are built on more than thoughtful selection. Success depends on the ability to adapt when the unexpected happens.
Wine program management services help airlines consistently deliver quality, continuity and value despite the challenges behind the scenes. Most passengers will never know how much work went into that glass of wine, and that is exactly the point. After all, somebody still has to taste the 125 wines.
