Qatar Airways appoints a new Master of Wine to build its wine list
Jérôme Peleyras | 12/16/24, 1:17 PM
On November 26, 2024, Qatar Airways appointed Anne Krebiehl to the position of Master of Wine. Her mission will be to design a selection of wines for passengers in the First and Business cabins. Meet the German Master of Wine.
Qatar Airways is an airline renowned for the excellence of its customer experience. It was voted the world's best airline by Skytrax in 2024. It is also regularly ranked among the world's top three airlines for its wine selection. In recent years, it has won Business Traveller's "Cellars in the Sky" and Global Traveller's "Wines on the Wing" awards.
It is in this quest for perfection that the company has appointed its new Master of Wine, Anne Krebiehl, who will have the task of offering an exceptional tasting experience at an altitude of 12,000 meters. This title is held by only 421 experts worldwide after many years of study.
5 questions to Anne Krebiehl, Qatar Airways Master of Wine
How are you going to design the Qatar Airways wine list?
My philosophy is to select wines based solely on taste, not on labels, magazine reviews or price. As part of this approach, we'll be blind-tasting over 1,000 samples from all over the world. The aim is to offer a varied and unique selection on board, ranging from sparkling wines to old vintages. Choosing wines for an airline such as Qatar Airways involves considerable logistics. It will then take time to negotiate quantities and volumes before the wines appear on board.
Tell us about this future selection. Will it be open to the world?
Of course, you'll find wines from the world's major wine-growing regions, from Europe to South America, via Oceania, and all types of wine, from rosé to sweet. The strength of a Master of Wine is to know all the wine-growing regions inside out. I'm going to use my knowledge to unearth the best vintages, while taking into account the high-volume requirements of a company like Qatar Airways. We'll also be working with winemakers to design unique blends, specially adapted for economy class passengers.
Is it a constraint to select a wine that will be tasted at an altitude of over 12,000 meters?
We obviously take into account the parameter of in-flight tasting when making our selection. at 12,000 meters, a wine's astringency, tannins and bitterness are accentuated. It is therefore crucial to ensure that, for barrel-aged wines or older vintages, the aromas are ripe and the tannins are softened and mellowed. Otherwise, the experience will be unpleasant. On the other hand, for young wines with simple aromas, we take fewer risks. It's also essential to put ourselves in the customer's shoes: they don't go on a trip to taste wine, but generally look for a wine to accompany the moment and the joy of traveling.
Which wine do you prefer to enjoy during a flight?
Without hesitation, champagne. If there isn't any, I'd choose a sparkling wine made using the traditional method. In my opinion, it's the most pleasant wine to enjoy during a flight. I also like a good pinot noir. But always in moderation, as alcohol is more rapidly assimilated into the bloodstream due to the lack of oxygen at altitude.
Will you be thinking about food and wine pairings?
The airline wants to offer a gastronomic experience that includes food and wine pairings. My philosophy remains the same: we're on a plane, with its constraints. We want to create good matches and harmonious associations, without striving for impossible perfection. We'll also be designing innovative training materials for cabin crew to guide them in their choice of pairings.
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On a supermarket shelf, similar-looking bottles of wine are lined up at slightly contrasting prices. Without a salesperson, in a time-constrained food shopping area, a sticker placed like a jewel cuts through the act of purchasing. Gold, silver or bronze medals flash more brightly than a label that's not always easy to decipher.
Award-winning wine, featured wine
An award-winning wine is one that has been presented by the winery at one of the 127 competitions that award these precious badges (in 2024, according to the DGCCRF).
The famous Concours Général Agricole, founded in 1870, the world's best Chardonnay or Sauvignon competitions, the Brittany or Mâcon wine competitions, the Millésime Bio challenge... There's an embarrassment of riches to choose from, with no limit on participation, but not without a heavy hand in the wallet. For each cuvée entered, you'll need to pay between 10 and 150 euros, depending on the competition, not including postage and packaging costs and the purchase of macaroons in the event of victory.
Attractive spin-offs
A potentially interesting calculation, given the commercial visibility these awards bring. In the year following the award, sales of the vintage tend to increase by between 20% and 40%. A boon for the estate, event organizers and supermarkets alike.
All the more so as the medals are pouring in. In 2025, at the Concours Général Agricole, of the 12129 wines entered, 3361 were awarded medals, almost half of them gold. French legislation prohibits the awarding of more than a third of the samples presented. A quota with which most competitions flirt.
Amateur jury Who awards these accolades?
A volunteer jury, at their own expense. Mostly amateurs. The great need for people leaves little room for rigor or traceability. In 2025, at the Concours Général Agricole, over 7,000 people were needed to taste charcuterie, cheeses, jams and wines. At this year's Chardonnay du Monde competition, more than 300 jurors took part, with a limit of 20 samples per person.
The most famous estates, which don't need to boost their sales, tend to neglect these competitions. Artisanal wineries, on the other hand, may shy away from these competitions as a matter of distinction, since the shiny stickers are associated with supermarkets. A place where it takes the place of good professional advice. A wine merchant, for example, capable of selling the uniqueness of a cuvée he has followed over the years.
