Qantas wines on board: Neil Perry's Rockpool team to help select wines

Qantas will focus on matching its lounge and premium cabin food offerings with the right cocktail, spirit or champagne as well as wine now that a new team of beverage experts from Neil Perry's Rockpool Restaurant Group is taking charge of the selection process.

The airline last month disbanded the Qantas Wine Panel, comprised of three Australian winemakers, which had been in charge of beverage selection for a decade. In its place, a new team called The Qantas Rockpool Sommeliers will take over the task of tasting 1200 Australian wines and French champagnes over four days each year.

The new team features 16 highly-experienced sommeliers and mixologists, including head of Sommeliers Australia David Lawler as well as Sebastian Crowther, who is one of two master sommeliers in Australia as well as head bartenders from Rockpool restaurants around the country.

Under the old process, the food and wine selection had been conducted separately. Qantas International chief executive Gareth Evans said the new approach would be more "holistic" and would match menus not only with the perfect wine, but with the perfect cocktail or champagne.

The Rockpool team will provide tasting notes for the international first and domestic business class cabins, recommendations for wine in Qantas lounges, and for the first time, its mixologists will create monthly cocktails in the lounges.

Mr Perry said his team's expertise in wines and mixology would offer the very best restaurant experience in the sky to Qantas passengers.

"Rockpool has worked with Qantas for over 18 years to design menus and we are thrilled to be working more closely to select beverages for the airline," he said. "We are committed to continue providing the finest champagnes and the boldest wines from across Australia and deliver a restaurant experience on the ground and in the air."

Rockpool's sommeliers will now also be part of the Qantas advanced sommelier in the sky training program for cabin crew. More than 150 are currently trained as onboard sommeliers and more are set to join the group this year.

Qantas is the third-largest wine buyer in Australia behind Woolworths and Coles, spending more than $15 million a year on the product for its flights across the globe.

"We are really proud to showcase Australian wine to the world, and we'll keep supporting boutique Australian wineries as well as the iconic drops that have defined Australia's global winemaking reputation," Mr Evans said.