Air New Zealand launches new wine line Thirteen Forty Five

The label currently includes a sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. Photo / Supplied

Air New Zealand has released its first two custom-made wines under its new label, Thirteen Forty Five, which feature sleek purple and white designs.

The two varietals are a sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, created in collaboration with Villa Maria from Indevin Group. The labels have a minimalist design, forgoing the popular koru or an aviation-related symbol for an embossed symbol of what appears to be a splash of wine.

A white label with dark purple text was chosen for the sauvignon blanc, while the pinot noir is marked by a purple label with shiny purple text.

Customers can try the wines only in the airline’s lounges around New Zealand, in Premium Economy cabins on international flights and by purchasing a bottle on the Airpoints Store.

Air New Zealand has launched its new wine label, Thirteen Forty Five, now available exclusively to Air New Zealand and Airpoints Store customers.

However, to celebrate the launch, Air NZ revealed the wines will be served during Koru Hour on select domestic flights in March.

Crafting a wine from scratch is no simple feat, especially when it needs to taste good in a lounge and during a flight when travellers’ tastebuds are dulled.

“Making a great wine takes time, and Thirteen Forty Five has been a passion project that honours our legacy while creating something special for our customers,” said the airline’s general manager customer experience, Kylie McGillivray-Brown.

The sauvignon blanc has aromas of passionfruit, lemongrass, and subtle herbal notes, using grapes from vineyards in Marlborough’s Wairau and Awatere valleys.

Meanwhile, the pinot noir was sourced from vineyards on Wairau Valley’s eastern side. It will have notes of cherry and plum and hits of violets and dried herbs.

Villa Maria winemaker Tom Dixon, who worked with the team to create the wines, said the timing was perfect.

“We couldn’t have asked for better vintages to produce the debut release of these wines,” he said.

“The conditions during the growing seasons were very favourable for producing high-quality wines that reflect their respective varieties and showcase the essence of sauvignon blanc and pinot noir from Marlborough.”

Air New Zealand has already revealed plans to extend the range to include a new red varietal from Hawke’s Bay and a new vintage of Marlborough sauvignon blanc.

Thirteen Forty Five is in reference to when Teal (Air New Zealand’s predecessor) operated the inaugural flight from Auckland to Sydney, covering 1345 miles in 1940.

These wines will be served alongside the range the airline already offers customers in the lounges and Business Premier cabin, which is selected from a diverse range of local winemakers via a blind tasting.

This year, 47 wineries are featured, from Waiheke Island to Central Otago.