Emirates will roll out new champagnes and wines across every cabin

Emirates said Thursday that it will begin introducing a new lineup of champagnes and wines across its global network over the coming months, expanding its onboard drinks program with new labels for First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class.

The Dubai-based airline said the rollout will take place through the rest of 2026 and will include bottles from producers in France, Australia, Chile, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. The company said the updated selection is designed to give passengers in every cabin access to what it describes as one of the largest wine programs in commercial aviation.

According to Emirates, the new offerings will range from Dom Pérignon Vintage 2017 and Château Mouton Rothschild 2003 in First Class to Wiston Estate Brut NV in Premium Economy, which the airline said will be the first English sparkling wine it has served. The carrier said the additions are part of a long-term strategy built around buying wines years in advance and holding them until they are ready to be served onboard.

Emirates said it has invested more than $1 billion in its wine program since 2006 and now holds about five million bottles in storage facilities in France. The airline said many of its wines are acquired in small allocations and then matured under controlled conditions before entering service. That approach, the company said, is intended to help it secure rare vintages and serve them when they are at or near peak drinking age.

In First Class, Emirates said it plans to introduce Dom Pérignon Vintage 2017 across its global network later this year. The airline described the Champagne as balancing richness with freshness. It also said Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2015 from Bouchard Père & Fils is already available on routes to Africa. Emirates said the white Burgundy comes from the Puligny-Montrachet area and is offered in limited quantities because of the small size of the appellation and the low production typical of Grand Cru Burgundy.

On European routes in First Class, Emirates said it is currently serving Le Petit Cheval Blanc 2023 from Château Cheval Blanc. The airline said the wine is made mainly from Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon and is unusual because the Bordeaux estate is better known for red wine than white. On East Asia routes, First Class passengers are now being offered Seña 2016, a Chilean red blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon from the Aconcagua Valley.

The airline said another First Class change will arrive in late September, when Penfolds RWT Shiraz 2015 is scheduled to be introduced on routes to Australasia. In October, Emirates said it will begin serving Château Mouton Rothschild 2003 in First Class on routes to the United Kingdom. The airline said the wine, a First Growth Bordeaux from Pauillac, has had more than two decades of bottle age. In December, Emirates said some First Class routes will begin offering Vilafonté Series C 2016, a South African Bordeaux-style blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon.

For Business Class, Emirates said the current selection on U.S. routes includes La Dame de Montrose 2014, the second wine of Château Montrose in Saint-Estèphe. Later in September, the airline said passengers in Business Class on East Asia routes will begin receiving Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2024 from Domaine des Sénéchaux. Emirates noted that white wine accounts for only about 6.25% of total production in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, making it far less common than the region’s better-known reds.

In Premium Economy, Emirates said it will introduce La Parde de Haut-Bailly 2014 starting in October. The airline also said Chablis Premier Cru Jean-Marc Brocard 2024 has been available since September, giving Premium Economy passengers access to a white Burgundy from one of France’s best-known Chardonnay regions.

The same cabin will also become the entry point for a new British wine in the Emirates system. The airline said Wiston Estate Brut NV will be introduced in October on routes to the United Kingdom only. Emirates said the sparkling wine comes from West Sussex and is made in the traditional method from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. The carrier said the decision to serve it only on U.K. routes is meant to reflect the wine’s origin and the growth of English sparkling wine production.

Emirates also said Chandon 2021 remains in Premium Economy as a global exclusive for the airline. According to the company, the wine is made in Australia’s Yarra Valley using the traditional method and aged for four years before release.

In Economy Class, the airline said it is updating its wine list across the network with a mix of French and South African labels. The current offering includes Domaine de la Baume Tautavel 2023, a Grenache-Syrah blend from Roussillon in southern France. Starting in October, Emirates said it will add Château Pech-Latt Corbières 2024, made from traditional southern French grape varieties including Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvèdre. The Economy Class white wine options include Cuvée Sabourin Picpoul de Pinet 2024 from the French Mediterranean coast and Journey’s End Weather Station Sauvignon Blanc 2025 from near Stellenbosch in South Africa.

The airline said its wine buying team applies different standards depending on the style of wine and the cabin in which it will be served, with a focus on how wines taste both on the ground and at cruising altitude. Emirates said it looks at fruit profile, acidity, tannin levels, oak influence, and overall maturity before deciding when a bottle is ready for service. Bordeaux wines selected for Business Class are typically aged for at least eight to 10 years before being poured onboard, the airline said, while First Class Bordeaux is often held for 12 to 15 years.

Emirates framed the latest changes as part of a broader effort to differentiate its premium cabins while maintaining an upgraded food and beverage offer throughout the aircraft. The company said the use of advance purchasing and long-term storage allows it to secure small lots of sought-after vintages that may be difficult to find in the wider market, then release them on specific routes and in specific cabins based on maturity and availability.