Xavier Thuizat has been named Air France's new chief sommelier and will be responsible for selecting the airline's future wine, champagne and spirits lists.
Thuizat, who is also head sommelier at the Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood hotel in Paris, replaces Paolo Basso, who has been recruiting for Air France for the past decade.
Born in Burgundy, Thuizat will work alongside Air France to organize blind tastings in all of France's wine regions and will curate the wine, champagne and spirits lists in all of the airline's cabins and lounges at its Paris airports.
Thuizat, whose awards include Meilleur Sommelier de France in 2022, Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2023 and the Michelin Guide Grand Prix de la Sommellerie 2024, will also be responsible for selecting a new range of French beers for the airline.
Air France said it serves its customers more than one million bottles of champagne and eight million bottles of wine each year.
In December 2022, British Airways appointed a new dedicated Master of Wine in a bid to “elevate the premium experience for its customers both on the ground and in the air.”
Tim Jackson MW sources new wines for BA, as well as curating menu descriptions and developing the airline's broader beverage strategy for all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
British Airways appoints full-time Master of Wine
Fabien Pelous, senior vice president of customer experience at Air France, commented on the news:
“I would like to thank Paolo Basso, who for ten years has been committed to promoting the best wines from the vineyards of France among all our customers, in our VIP lounges and on board our planes. “I am delighted to welcome Xavier Thuizat who, I am sure, will continue in this role with the same talent and passion.”
Every year business traveler holds the Cellars in the Sky Awards, celebrating the best red, white, sparkling and fortified wines served by airlines in business and first class.
To read the latest award results, see:
Wineries in the sky 2023
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