Virgin Atlantic is marking English wine week by flying an English Bacchus in Upper Class across its network. Vegan, sustainable, female owned Yotes Court has supplied Virgin Atlantic with its fresh and aromatic Bacchus for the month of June
GLOVirgin Atlantic and award-winning Yotes Court have partnered to celebrate English wine week (17th– 25th June) in style. The airline is flying Yotes Court’s renowned English Bacchus, named ‘On the Nod’ for the month of June across its network in Upper Class.
Yotes Court vineyard is based in Kent and sits across 75 acres of free-draining soil full of Kentish ragstone; the ideal conditions for growing the perfect grapes. The vineyard is owned & run by Susannah Ricci and is known for its 100% sustainable practices. The vineyard was one of the first to attain Sustainable Wine of Great Britain certification, secured using “living-soil” viticultural practices, promotion of biodiversity and environmental conservation thereby minimising their carbon footprint per hectare.
Virgin Atlantic has a track record of delivering and implementing sustainable innovations, and part of this is showcasing incredible brands onboard that make sustainability their mission, so naturally Yotes Court is a perfect fit. Their Bacchus, known as ‘On the Nod’, is named after a horse racing term that refers to the end of a race. A race won ‘on the nod’ is thrilling to watch and is so close it is often decided by a photo of the finish.
Shiada Drysdale, Beverage Lead for Virgin Atlantic said, “It’s no secret I am a huge fan of English wine, so I have been waiting for the right moment to introduce a zesty English Bacchus into our onboard range at Virgin Atlantic. I am delighted we will be offering Kent based ‘On the Nod’ from Yotes Court in June as a ‘nod’ to English Wine Week.”
Susannah Ricci, Owner of Yotes Court said, “It’s a real thrill and honour to have had our Bacchus chosen by Virgin Atlantic to celebrate English Wine Week this year. Their dedication to adopting sustainable practices where possible, without compromising on quality, aligns very much to ours. It’s such a great opportunity to introduce passengers to this amazing grape variety and I hope they thoroughly enjoy it.”
Jeroboams Trade Director, Lucie Parker added, “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the team at Virgin Atlantic curating an exceptional wine offering for their discerning customers. It is an incredibly dynamic period in the English wine industry, and we are delighted to represent one of the best – Yotes Court. A founder member of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain, this producer shares similar long-term, quality-focussed values as we do, and to be the first still English white wine on such an iconic airline as Virgin Atlantic, presents an exciting opportunity to showcase this wonderful wine and grape variety to a new audience.”
About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2022, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain’s only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the sixth year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs more than 7,500 people worldwide, flying customers to 31 destinations across four continents throughout the year. Virgin Atlantic recently continued its expansion in the US, launching new routes to Austin, Texas and Tampa, Florida.
Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. In February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers. Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam in March 2023 as the global airline alliance’s first and only UK member airline, enhancing the alliance’s transatlantic network and services to and from Heathrow and Manchester Airport.
Virgin Atlantic has been pioneering sustainability leadership for more than 15 years, committing to Net Zero by 2050 and continuous action that reduces environmental impact. The airline operates one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the skies and has reduced its absolute carbon emissions by 35% over the last decade. In October 2022, Virgin Atlantic welcomed the first of 16 A330-900neos to the fleet, continuing its transformation towards 100% next generation aircraft by 2027. Later in 2023, Virgin Atlantic is leading an industry consortium to deliver the first 100% SAF flight across the transatlantic. Demonstrating that 100% SAF can be used safely as a drop in fuel in existing infrastructure, engines and airframes. The need to scale production is an industry imperative and Virgin Atlantic is committed to radical collaboration across the energy chain to support commercialisation ahead of 2030.
For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic.
