Air and Vine, blended by Aperture Cellars founder and winemaker Jesse Katz while aboard a flight, will debut on select United Airlines' flights in 2028.
In an unusual approach to winemaking, Healdsburg’s Aperture Cellars and United Airlines have announced Air and Vine, the first Cabernet Sauvignon blended at 35,000 feet and designed to be enjoyed in flight.
The custom wine is part of a three-year partnership between Aperture Cellars and United Airlines. It will officially debut in United Polaris business class on select international flights in 2028.
Aperture founder and winemaker Jesse Katz said in an email that wine expresses itself differently at cruising altitude. Reduced cabin pressure, low humidity and background noise can affect how we perceive aromas, fruit and texture.
“We wanted to craft a wine specifically for that setting while bringing the character of Sonoma County to travelers around the world,” Katz said. “Rather than making a wine on the ground and adapting it for flight, we brought the final blending decisions into the cabin itself.”
To make the wine, Katz boarded a United flight from Newark to San Francisco with barrel samples from hillside Cabernet Sauvignon blocks at Aperture’s Farrow Ranch estate vineyard in Geyserville, along with samples of Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. At 35,000 feet, he tasted each variety and settled on the final blend based on how the wines expressed themselves in flight.
“Tasting familiar wines in-flight made those differences tangible,” he said. “Darker fruit aromas became more subdued, spice notes more apparent, and tannins more pronounced. It reinforced how much the environment can shape the experience of a wine.”
Cabernet Sauvignon provides the blend’s foundation, while the other varietals contribute what Katz described as “silkiness, polish and aromatic complexity.” The 2024 vintage was aged for 24 months in oak barrels, including 40% new French oak.
For Katz, the partnership with United also reflects how travel and exposure to different cultures have shaped his approach to winemaking.
Katz, who was named 2025 Winemaker of the Year at Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Star Awards, grew up traveling the world with his father, photographer Andy Katz. By the time he graduated from high school, he had visited more than 80 countries, and later travels took him to some of the world’s most storied wineries.
“I truly would not be in this industry if it were not for travel, adventure and discovery,” Katz said. “Air and Vine brought those influences together, allowing me to explore how a wine rooted in Sonoma County could be experienced in an entirely new setting.”