Qatar Airways partners with Wine Spectator for Seventh Annual Chill Event In Chicago

CHICAGO, IL – The Seventh Annual CHILL Event, presented by LuxeHome and Wine Spectator, was in full swing in downtown Chicago last evening.

CHICAGO, IL – The Seventh Annual CHILL Event, presented by LuxeHome and Wine Spectator, was in full swing in downtown Chicago last evening. The international wine and culinary gathering took over The Merchandise Mart with a sold-out crowd of over 3,000 people. Attendees sampled dishes from 40 top chefs and over 150 premium wines, including those from Qatar Airways’ curated collection, while exploring the home and renovation boutiques on the first floor of the venue.

Prior to the evening’s kickoff, Qatar Airways, recently named The World’s Best Business Class by Skytrax, was the exclusive wine provider for the VIP Tasting Reception in the GE Monogram Showroom. The airline is a global leader in in-flight wine service, with a list curated by Master of Wine, Mr. James Cluer. Mr. Cluer was on hand at the event discussing the vintages and relating stories from his recent trip to Base Camp One on Mt. Everest.

“Our taste buds are impacted by the change in air pressure at altitude, whether it’s on Mt. Everest or flying at 35,000 feet,” said Cluer. “I wanted to study that change on how we experience wineโ€”and have a chance to visit one of the most amazing places on earth.”

Members of Qatar Airways’ cabin crew (who are all certified by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust) poured vintages from the airline’s First and Business Class lists while delectable hors d’oeuvres from Chef Federico Comacchio of Coco Pazzo Restaurant and GE Monogram Executive Chef Jon Liddell were passed around the room.

The VIP wine pairing was organized by Wine Spectator using Qatar Airways’ award-winning wine list. The airline, which puts special emphasis on serving 5-star food and wine (its in-flight menu is designed by Chefs Nobu Matsuhisa, Tom Aikens, Vineet Bhatia, and Ramzi Choueiri) was the only air carrier to participate in the event.

Below is the full list of wines Qatar Airways served at the VIP and main events and that were part of their raffle:

Bollinger Brut Rose Champagne NV (VIP)
Lanson Brut Champagne Gold Label 1999 (VIP)
Chartron & Trebuchet Meursault 2010 (VIP & main)
Chateau Monbousquet St.-Emilion 2006 (VIP & main)
Dr. Loosen Riesling Spatlese Mosel Erdener Treppchen 2011 (main)
Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Costasera 2008 (main)
Kopke Vintage Port 1974 (main)

During the event, Qatar Airways raffled off a package that included a bottle of each of its showcased wines.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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