Air carriers busy transporting wine

Written by Writer on Monday, November 10th, 2008

Air carriers busy transporting wine

Local air carriers plan to increase their cargo flights to deliver some 2,300 tons of Beaujolais Nouveau from Europe to be released during the third week of this month, industry officials said yesterday.

According to the sources, the country’s two major air carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, will operate special planes to bring France’s most heavily marketed wines to Asia.

Korean Air Co., which delivered some 1,320 tons of Beaujolais Nouveau last year, will deliver 1,400 tons of French wine from cities in Europe this year.

Most of the Beaujolais Nouveau will be brought to the Japanese market, while some 100 tons of French wine will be delivered to the Korean market.

Asiana Airlines also plans to operate eight cargo flights to carry some 900 tons of Beaujolais Nouveau to cities in Japan via Incheon International Airport. The Japanese market is expected to consume about 9,000 tons of French wine this year.

The air carrier said it is considering expanding cargo flight operations to secure more bottles for the local market as well.

Beaujolais Nouveau, from the Beaujolais region south of Burgundy, is made from Gamay grapes picked in the late summer and early autumn. Vinified, bottled and drunk before Christmas, it is released worldwide, by French government decree, at 12:01 a.m. on the third Thursday of November.

By Cho Chung-un

(christory@heraldm.com)
The Korea Herald
2008.11.11