British Airways new First and Club wines – what’s coming up and my visit to Provence and the Rhone Valley

Sometimes being a blogger is a hard job, especially when, as a wine lover, you get asked to go on a trip to Provence and the Rhône Valley to see some of the Chateau producing the wines for BA’s next quarter. In this article, I will talk about the visit and what wines you can expect from July onwards onboard. I’ll also talk a little bit about where I stayed and the area as it was absolutely gorgeous. 

British Airways’ new Master of Wine, Tim Jackson, has introduced a program featuring different wines onboard in Club and First from destinations BA fly to every quarter. From July to September this year, it will be Provence and the Rhône Valley. If you would like to hear my interview with Tim or read the transcript, you can find them in today’s other article here. 

Onboard tasting and journey in Club Europe to Nice

British Airways operate to Nice, Marseille, Lyon and most recently launched a new BA Euroflyer route to Montpellier from Gatwick. I flew on an open jaw into Nice and out of Marseille, which makes it easier to visit a range of Chateau. 

First, we did an onboard tasting of some of the wines for the next quarter. These will be on board from 1 July. 

Balfour, Rosé de Noirs Brut NV – Kent, England

BA will be having a different English sparkling wine every quarter as well as champagne in Club. I wasn’t a huge fan of the last one, but I absolutely loved this one and would have bought it myself if I could. This was may favourite of the wines in the onboard tasting. 

Unfortunately, the blend is made especially for BA, but Balfour do produce a Brut Rose you can buy for £45 here. The new BA blend is a perfect summer sparkling wine and also great for sipping on board being a lighter style than many champagnes. It felt light and elegant, with fine bubbles that could easily mislead you into drinking rather a lot. 

This is a rosé sparkling made from black grapes and pale pink with marked aromas of red apple, wild strawberry and white peach. I definitely got the aromas of peach and apple, which delivered a beautiful freshness making it perfect for any time of day. 

Will be available in Club World from 1 July. 

Cave de Tain, Les Hauts d’Eole Crozes-Hermitage Blanc 2021, Rhône Valley, France

Being a fan of the Marsanne grape, I also enjoyed this with its subtle oak and stone fruit flavours. It would make a good contrast to a Chardonnay based Burgundy for those that prefer something with more fruit forward. 

This is a  parcel selection from two vineyards at the foot of the Hermitage hill and mostly Marsanne, this is a Northern Rhône white. Subtle oak lends spicy complexity to a focused core of white flower, lemon and stone fruit, with a fine line of acidity and a long, flinty finish. Great with fish and shellfish.

White wine available in First from 1 July

Caves d’Esclans, Rock Angel Côtes de Provence Rosé 2021, Provence, France 

Whispering Angel is the most famous Provence rosé in the world and can be partially attributed to the revival in popularity of Provence rosé wine. Rock Angel is its big brother and, unlike Whispering Angel, has some subtle oak. It is more complex than Whispering Angel and goes better with food than the original in my opinion. For drinking on its own, I would probably stick with the original which will be featured in a new Whispering Angel bar in T5B late this summer. You can already sample Whispering Angel in the First lounge at Heathrow. 

For summer, it’s great to have a rosé onboard. With Rock Angel, 30% of the wine is fermented and aged in 600 litre oak barrels, to add vanilla and baking spice complexity to the core of strawberry, peach and flint, as well as more weight on the palate. It works well with seafood, chicken or even pork.

Rosé wine option available in First from 1 July. 

Ferraton Père et Fils, Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhône-Villages 2022, Rhone Valley, France

Being a fan of Rhône blend reds, this was my second favourite of the selection, although the Marsanne was also close. This Cote du Rhône Villages had a great nose of blackcurrant and deep berry colour. Definitely one of the better reds I have had in Club World for a while if you enjoy this style of wine. 

Ferraton is a top Rhône producer, and this shows through in their Plan de Dieu. Purple, with ripe, mixed red fruit, subtle spice and dusty mineral complexity, this has richness on the palate to balance its fairly firm, sandy tannins. Good for spicy, duck or lamb dishes.

Red wine available in Club World from 1 July.

Club Europe will also be getting new wines from now onwards.

I wasn’t able to taste them as I was driving, but I will be reporting back soon when I have had a chance to try some of them. There is now:

• Australian Shiraz
• Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon
• Cotes des Gascons Sauvignon Blanc
• California Chardonnay

I will just also mention the meal on board that was perfect for summer and one of the best Club Europe meals I have recently on a fairly short flight.

 The starter looked slightly alarming with the black quinoa on top, but underneath was a delightful sweet and creamy layer of sweetcorn puree, and I enjoyed the toasted corn on top. I can also kid myself that it was healthy too!

For the main, I chose the salad as I am a big fan of seafood. There was a generous portion of smoked salmon which was not too heavily smoked, a large prawn and some coleslaw. I would have liked some sort of greenery with it, but otherwise, it was very tasty. The dessert was a little like a trifle without the cream and sponge with a layer of raspberry on the bottom. 

What I tasted at the wineries

Chateau D’Esclans, home of Whispering Angel

The first place we visited was Chateau D’Esclans, home of Whispering Angel.

The name of the wine comes from the sculpture in the chapel of two whispering angels.

It is open to visitors to purchase wine, but if you want to do a tasting or a tour, you will need to contact them in advance. 

It’s well worth visiting as it has a stunning Chateau with beautiful views. Their methods for producing such consistently great wine were high-tech with a special system to keep the wines at a constant temperature. 

The wines that are available with British Airways are:

Whispering Angel Provence Rosé 2022

This is the essence of Provence Rose with a delicate Provençal pink hue and creamy flavours of peach and raspberries, with refreshing citrus undertones and a smooth, dry finish.

Currently available in British Airways’ First and Club lounges

The Pale Rosé by Sacha Lichine 2022

Crafted with grapes from the Vin de Pays Du Var region of Provence, it’s classic Mediterranean rosé with a twist. It’s a classic blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah – but from an area known for great value. It’s deliciously dry and refreshing with bright red-fruit flavours and a clean, crisp finish. It is what I would call an easy-drinking wine, perfect on a hot day after a busy journey to the airport as a little pick me up. 

Currently available in British Airways’ First and Club  lounges

Cellier des Princes Hauts des Côteaux Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2017

This was a winery on a grand scale. I really enjoyed the wine, which was a definite step up from the Cotes du Rhone Villages in Club. It was full-bodied and rich, so it would be great with some of the slow-cooked meat dishes on board or even the delicious Indian style chicken dishes that I have enjoyed in First. 

Hauts des Côteaux is made only in top Châteauneuf-du-Pape vintages such as 2017, with oak maturation adding complexity. Spicy, full and rich, with mature tannins, it has layers of kirsch, strawberry, earth, leather, a hint of oak, and great length. Spicy food or hearty beef dishes will pair well.

Red wine available in First from 1 July

Véronique Pichon, Mes Belles Vignes Ventoux Blanc 2022, Rhône Valley, France

I have yet to try this one as the wine was not available yet, but all the wines I tasted at this smaller vineyard were excellent. Rhone is not normally known for its white, so it is good to see a new interesting direction for the region as they grow more white and great to have it onboard too. The vineyard is family-run, with the grandmother still playing a role in the cellar. 

Ventoux, around iconic Mont Ventoux, is a rising star of the Rhône. This has a rich mix of pear, white peach, honeysuckle and brown spice, but with a fine line of citrus acidity for brightness and a long, minerally finish. For creamy fish, chicken and cheeses.

White wine available in Club World from 1 July

Visiting Chateauneuf Du Pape and Avignon

You can visit or stay in the heart of the Rhone in Châteauneuf-du-Pape itself. This is a pretty village with plenty of restaurants and wine shops. 

We ate at the Michelin-star, Restaurant La Mère Germaine, which is also a hotel and has a beautiful terrace for dining on. The food was light Mediterranean with local produce such as wood pigeon. 

You may rather base yourself in our near Avignon, which is the nearest town and only 18km away from the village. 

We stayed at Chateau de Varenne, which was one of the most visually stunning places I have stayed and quintessentially French. Every corner was like an Instagram shot.

It is around 20 minutes from Avignon, but there is a restaurant, bakery and cafe within walking distance in the village of Sauveterre where it is situated.

You can read reviews and book your stay here. 

In Avignon, you have the famous La Mirande hotel and Michelin star restaurant, which was originally the palace of a 14th-century cardinal, but now has a beautiful 17th-century façade.

Every room of the 5-star luxury hotel is individually decorated with historic French cotton prints. The inside is definitely like stepping back into the past, and it is very well placed for visiting all that Avignon offers as it is right in the walled centre.

If you don’t want to eat at the hotel, I highly recommend L’Agape which was the best meal of the trip at only €39 for 3 courses. It is set in the beautiful Place des Corps Saints, which is great for enjoying an al fresco dinner with the backdrop of the church in the square. 

BA Fare prices

These fares can be booked at ba.com or use the BA Low Fare Finder page to find the dates with the cheapest fares. 

Nice

For travel 1 – 7 September, travelling in Euro Traveller with baggage included:

British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Nice from £145 return per person, including taxes, fees and carrier charges. 

For travel 1 – 7 September, travelling in Club Europe with baggage included:

British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Nice from £370 return per person, including taxes, fees and carrier charges. 

Marseille

For travel 1 – 7 September, travelling in Euro Traveller with baggage included:

British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Marseille from £145 return per person, including taxes, fees and carrier charges.

For travel 1 – 7 September, travelling in Club Europe with baggage included:

British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Marseille from £316 return per person, including taxes, fees and carrier charges. 

Nice And Marseille

For travel 1 – 7 September, travelling in Euro Traveller with baggage included:

British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Nice and return from Marseille from £131 return per person, including taxes, fees and carrier charges. 

For travel 1 – 7 September, travelling in Club Europe with baggage included:

British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Nice and return from Marseille from £346 return per person, including taxes, fees and carrier charges.