Qatar Airways has announced the appointment of Anne Krebiehl, an award-winning writer, editor, and wine judge, as its new Master of Wine. Krebiehl will join the airline’s in-house team to help shape its wine sourcing strategy across all three cabin classes, ensuring passengers enjoy a curated selection of wines that cater to the unique conditions of flying at 40,000 feet.
As part of her role, Krebiehl will consider the effects of cabin pressure and lower humidity on passengers’ taste buds, which often dull their senses while in-flight. She will focus on sourcing high-quality wines for the First and Business Class cabins, while also collaborating with wineries to create exclusive blends for the Economy Class experience. The airline emphasized that wine selections will be based on taste, rather than solely on brand, critic scores, or price tags.
To celebrate her new appointment, Krebiehl hosted a blind wine tasting event at the Michelin-starred Alex Dilling restaurant at Hotel Café Royal in London. The event provided attendees with insight into the rigorous process behind Qatar Airways’ annual wine judging, where over 1,000 wines from around the world are evaluated. The final list of wines is narrowed down to around 12 selections, which are rotated every two weeks across the airline’s global network.
Qatar Airways has a strong presence in Business Traveller’s prestigious Cellars in the Sky awards, an event that recognizes the best wines served in business and first class. Most recently, Qatar Airways received silver awards in both the Best Business Class Cellar and Overall Cellar categories.
In addition to curating wine, Krebiehl will work closely with the airline’s culinary team to ensure perfect pairings of food and wine. She will also be responsible for creating training materials for cabin crew, ensuring they are equipped to offer expert recommendations to passengers. Furthermore, Krebiehl will assist in sourcing sustainable packaging options for wines served onboard.
At the wine tasting event, Qatar Airways also introduced its caviar dish, which is now available in Business Class on select routes, including flights between Doha and London. Since the introduction of the caviar offering in August, the airline has served more than 200,000 servings of caviar, along with over 1.4 million bottles of red wine and 4 million glasses of Champagne.
In a statement, Krebiehl expressed her enthusiasm about the role: “I’m thrilled to be joining Qatar Airways, the World’s Best Airline, as their new Master of Wine. I truly believe that great wine and food are essential to enjoying life, even at 40,000 feet, and Qatar Airways’ wine program is a testament to its customer-centric approach. I look forward to contributing my expertise to elevate the onboard experience.”
Xia Cai, Qatar Airways’ Senior Vice President of Product Development, also welcomed Krebiehl, highlighting her deep industry knowledge as a key asset to the airline’s wine program. “Ms. Krebiehl’s forward-thinking knowledge and expertise will ensure Qatar Airways continues to offer an exceptional wine experience, solidifying our commitment to providing a world-class travel experience.”
The announcement of Krebiehl’s appointment comes on the heels of the airline’s launch of new onboard dining menus across the UK and Europe, featuring seasonal winter produce such as Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and squash, alongside seasonal fruits like pears and cranberries.
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