News> Sky-High First Class Honours For R&V


Rust en Vrede Estate 1999 chosen for Lufthansa First Class

The selection of Rust en Vrede's 1999 Estate blend for Lufthansa's First Class wine list is an honour with great integrity.

This recognition comes at a time when the standards employed for the selection of wines on the world's best airlines is questionable - the result of arbitrary competitions and ever-tighter financial restrictions.

Lufthansa have retained their quality-first approach. This is evidenced by and focused around their "Star Chefs" program, wherein the best chefs from around the world design menu items for Business and First Class passengers. Participating chefs have included Paul Bocuse, Dieter Müller and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Allied to this is the "Lufthansa Discovery" program, a showcase for wines of distinction from around the world. The selection of these wines is made by a panel headed by Markus Del Monego, the Sommelier World Champion of 1998. The panel of six hold 12 blind tastings a year, making a selection of roughly 40 to 50 wines out of the 1000 world-wide wines submitted. Of these, the range is tasted down to two to five wines and finally only one to three are purchased.

Another restriction is that the selected wines are available in sufficient quantities to last the period of the selection. This rigorous procedure, carried out according to the strictest international wine tasting standards, makes Lufthansa's wine list both universal and reliable.

Rust en Vrede's 1999 Estate wine recently voted one of the Top 100 wines of the world by Wine Spectator magazine, will now enjoy the status of being served alongside a Champagne Prestige Cuvée, a Cru Classé from Bordeaux, and an icon German white wine.