KLM Airlines Lifts Its Wine And Spirits Program To New Heights

Back in the spring of 2022, KLM debuted a new long-haul menu for its business class passengers. The attention was largely focused on the food, as signature items were conceived by renowned Dutch chef Jonnie Boer. It was well earned, as the seasonal selections showcase a side of the country’s cuisine that many international travelers might not expect.

But somewhat lost in the hoopla was the involvement of sommelier Thérèse Boer, his longtime partner and co-owner at the three Michelin starred De Librije. The talented wine expert took to the skies, not just to assemble an eclectic list of wines from varied regions across the globe, but specifically to leverage liquids that work well at 35,000 feet. At that elevation, air in the cabin becomes quite dry, significantly reducing our aromatic sensitivities and, in turn, our ability to taste.

She counteracts that reality with an assortment of full-bodied expressions from both red and white grape varieties. A 2021 vintage Chenin Blanc from Lievland Vineyards in South Africa, for example, benefits from a sublime concentration of acidity and texture. It fights through those muted senses in the sky. As does a 2020 Italian Primitivo from Masseria Li Veli in Salento. Again, the secret sauce here is acidity, which helps the juice grip to the tongue.

More and more airlines have been employing the use of both science and sommeliers to deliver a better drinking experience for their customers. Boer and KLM are hardly alone in their successful approach here. But what makes this particular pairing stand apart is her commitment to global sourcing—fine wines from the Old World and New, guided primarily by the stories these bold liquids tell.

Consider her inclusion of a 2018 Blaufrankisch from Weingut Heinrich, for example. This so-called “Naked Red” is a low intervention wine that encourages exploration of lesser-known terroir. She connects that theme to the typical world traveler aboard a KLM flight, thirsting for the unknown. Her musings are spelled out in paragraph form underneath each selection on a rotating menu.

There is no doubt that the inclusion of Boer has helped elevate KLM’s wine program to rarified air when it comes to in-flight oenology. Though on the spirits side, the airline had already enjoyed exalted status, thanks in part to its longstanding relationship with domestic producers. Ketel One, among the most coveted premium vodkas on the market, is clearly the preferred liquor to be sipped here—the star of Schiedam.

But there’s also no better environment in which to explore Holland’s very own booze category: genever. Long viewed as an historical antecedent to gin, genever is actually an unrelated malt-based spirit that never overplays its hand when it comes to juniper. The featured pour in KLM business class is Bols Corenwyn, which is aged on French oak for two years and can be best enjoyed neat—or backed by a Heineken.

Best of all for those lucky enough to fly in the front of a KLM plane, a measure of genever is always waiting in the wings. The legendary Delft Blue Houses are perhaps the most famous amenity in all of commercial air travel. Since the 1950s, the airline has been giving its first class passengers a 25ml pour of the 70-proof liquor sealed within an assortment of miniaturized ceramic Dutch abodes. Each one of the collector’s items are modeled after an historic home that actually exists somewhere in the country. And you thought slippers were a good giveaway!