Singapore Airlines partners with fine wine expert

Singapore Airlines partners with fine wine expert
Commentary by Daniel Lim

Image courtesy of Singapore Airlines.

Image courtesy of David Hulme (UK). 

Singapore – Korean born Jeannie Cho Lee has joined the Singapore Airlines panel of wine experts, as we found out recently.

Lee is the co-founder and lecturer for Berry Bros & Rudds Fine Wine School in Hong Kong, where she continues to lecture. She also writes for American Wine Spectator, bimonthly as columnist for Decanter Hong Kong and China, as well as appearing as a wine judge several wine competitions including Decanter World Wine Awards.

Mr Yap Kim Wah, Singapore Airlines’ Senior Vice-President Product & Services, said, “We are pleased to welcome Jeannie onboard. She’s highly respected among the wine circles as a consultant, judge and educator. She also brings with her an Asian perspective and palate to our tasting sessions.”

Lee added, “I was especially thrilled joining the panel along with Steven Spurrier and Michael Hill-Smith because I’ve known both of them professionally for many years. I know of their reputation within the wine industry, I know of their tasting ability, I’ve judged with them before. I know the standards for the Singapore Airlines’ Wine Panel is incredibly high, so I feel very excited and pleased to be joining the group.”

Two years ago, Lee made a name for herself when she became the first Asian in the history of the Institute of Masters of Wine to pass the notoriously difficult exams, which involve four days of rigorous theoretical exams, and blind wine tasting sessions. As an indication of just how challenging these exams are, only 276 people, worldwide can lay claim to the Master of Wine title.

“The opportunity to judge a thousand wines every year for Singapore Airlines is a wonderful way also to make sure that I’m continuing to keep my palate fresh, to judge, and to give feedback, because the choices that we make as a wine consultant has an effect on what is served, and what people enjoy, so there is a strong sense of responsibility” said Lee.

Lee replaces Karen MacNeil who wrote for eRobertParker.com (Karen left eBob as of January 2009). Established in 1989, the Singapore Airlines Wine Panel’s two other members are Steven Spurrier from the United Kingdom and Australian Michael Hill-Smith. Together, the panel is responsible for recommending wines, champagnes and port to be served by the Airlines. It is interesting to note, wines are judged not only on their quality but also on their suitability for drinking onboard an aircraft, where the atmosphere tends to be drier. The panel samples up to 1,000 bottles of champagne, and port annually.

For more information, please call +65 6541 5880/ +65 9753 2126 or email at Public_Affairs@singaporeair.com.sg, or visit the official link to the press release here.