United Airlines Will Start Serving Premium Sonoma Wines in Polaris Business Class

Travelers will soon be able to say “cheers” with an elevated wine selection at 30,000 feet.

United Airlines will start serving a well-known Sonoma County wine brand, Aperture Cellars, on board international flights next month, the vineyard shared with Travel + Leisure. The new offering will be available starting Oct. 1 in United’s Polaris business class cabin.

“United has been instrumental in shaping my life’s journey, inspiring my passion for winemaking and igniting my love for travel,” Jesse Katz, the founder and winemaker of Aperture Cellars, said in a statement shared with T+L. “To now share our flagship Cabernet Sauvignon with Polaris customers brings that story full circle—aligning the elevated standards of world-class wine with the refined hospitality of global travel, and celebrating the connections and lifelong memories they inspire.”

Based in Healdsburg, CAAperture Cellars is known for its blends and single-origin wines. The vineyard has received international recognition, including being rated one of Wine Spectator’s “Top 100” wines. Aperture is a relative newcomer on the Sonoma wine scene, having first opened in 2009.

For its part, the town of Healdsburg was named Sonoma County’s most wine-friendly town by Food & Wine, which specifically called out Aperture Cellars as a recommended vineyard to visit while there.

Airlines have been working to increase both alcoholic and non-alcoholic offerings on board in an effort to enhance the passenger experience.

In United’s Polaris cabinthe airline serves a variety of soft drinks, spirits, and beer. The carrier has a partnership with Coca-Cola, which includes Sprite, AHA Sparkling Water, and Minute Maid juices. The airline also serves illy-branded coffee and cold brew, and Twinings teas. Specialty beers include the Kona Big Wave Golden Ale, and Stella Artois. Additional spirits include Bombay Sapphire Gin, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and Aperol Spritz in United Polaris business class.

In May, United announced it would elevate its Polaris cabin even further with a new Polaris Studio that will be 25 percent larger and feature an ottoman seat, a 27-inch, 4K OLED screen, upgraded amenity kits, and elevated dining options like Ossetra caviar. The studio suites will sit in the first row of each business class cabin.

United isn’t alone in elevating its up-in-the-air dining experience. This summer, for example, Fiji Airways introduced an elevated dining on demand service complete with bites like delicate hamachi crudo with octopus and ponzu, and Singapore Airlines puts a lot of thought into choosing the perfect Champagne for its flights.