FYI: Even if you’re flying first-class, wine tastes worse when drunk thousands of feet up in the air. But, the solution is simple: give the bottle a shake.
High altitude — and the dry air in the plane cabin — makes wine taste more alcoholic, acidic and bitter.
This is partly because cabin air dries the mucus in our nasal passages, which reduces our sense of smell and changes how we taste things.
Top sommeliers let red wine aerate before serving, often by decanting it a few hours earlier. This allows certain substances in the wine to evaporate, while oxygen enters the liquid, making it taste more aromatic.
So next time you are jet setting off on holiday or maybe just on business remember that a quick shake makes all the difference!
