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Napa Valley Normal: Sipping Chardonnay with Delta's Sommelier

These "The One" glasses were designed by Andrea

Napa Valley is a weird place. It's kind of demure, with rolling hills blanketed in low rows of lush vineyards, but also kind of action central, as the chances are high that the person cooking your food or pouring your wine is at the top of the industry. Recently we ventured into kitchens, cellars and wineries (all accessible to you, too) in search of the extraordinarly yummy, which really is the norm in Napa.

In-flight wines get such a bad rap. Unlike airplane coffee, which is still all too frequently little better than "brown water," the reds and whites of the trolley have improved enough to warrant an airline bringing in someone like Andrea Robinson to expertly curate wine lists every season.

Andrea, a certified Master Sommelier/best-selling author/wine glass designer, has been the official Delta sommelier since February 2008 and it's her you have to thank for that smooth, in-flight buzz after your second glass because, to her, it's not just about getting blitzed onboard. In fact, Delta's transcontinental BusinessElite wine program turned completely to California wines from this September. The majority are from the Napa Valley, but there's always a focus on the richer, fuller bodied vintages to combat the effects of altitude on our tastebuds.

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An In-Flight Drink Gone Nearly Extinct: The 'Lufthansa Cocktail'

It's been far too long since we last named an "in-flight cocktail of the month," but there's a good reason for that. You see, airlines just don't offer all the libations they once did, and a prime example of this is the classic Lufthansa Cocktail.

Though the Orange-Apricot liquor of 12 ingredients was once served to passengers onboard Lufthansa flights decades ago (sometimes even in cute mini bottles), the Lufthansa Cocktail is now so extremely rare that it can only be had in two ways:

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What TWA's Royal Ambassador Flyers Were Eating Onboard in 1981

Staying true to our promise to open a vintage TWA Royal Ambassador-class menu, we finish this Friday with a cocktail and a toast to the days when ordering red meat onboard was accompanied by the question, "how would you prefer it cooked?"

You've already seen the cocktail list onboard this 1981 flight in Business Class, but here we present it in totality:

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What TWA's Royal Ambassador Flyers Were Drinking Onboard in 1981

For quite a while here on Jaunted, we held a monthly tradition of featuring an in-flight cocktail served up onboard an airline's flights. Sadly we had to put it on hiatus as we simply ran out of cocktails; blame the airlines cutting back on meal services.

Today we turn to a recent find to show how it once was, when airlines (an American airline, even) offered more than a Bloody Mary or Jack and Coke. We turn to TWA in 1981.

This menu, Royal Ambassador class international, very likely was loaded onto the plane at their JFK hub—Terminal 5—saw its way over the Atlantic and back, and ended up amongst someone's memories of a European trip. We picked it up at an antique shop in Chicago.

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OMG. In-Flight Bubble Tea.

Remember when we recommended what to purchase on your next AirAsia flight? Well, the super budget, yet uber cheeky, budget carrier has added another item to add to the list. Bubble Tea!

If you know the magic of bubble tea, you understand our excitement. If you haven't tasted it's refreshing goodness with little surprises, let us tell you, you are missing out. You may have seen people toting clear plastic cups of tea with black 'pearls' on the bottom, usually punctuated with a brightly colored fat straw. It's flavored tea, mostly chilled, usually served over large black tapioca pearls. The sweet, balanced and exotic flavor of the tea is kind of a big deal in Asia and international cafes.

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In-Flight Cocktail of the Month: Virgin Atlantic's 'Virgin Kiss'

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

Up until now, Virgin Atlantic's In-Flight Cocktail of the Month accolades have been the liquidy soundtrack to our past two summers. But a cocktail is for life, not just the hot months, so for December we're warming up with the SFO Clubhouse's signature cocktail: the Virgin Kiss.

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In-Flight Cocktail of the Month: ANA's 'Aromatic Kabosu'

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

Now that the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is finally up in the air and regularly flying passengers around Japan with All Nippon Airways, it's time to start thinking about making the trip. When you do, it's not only a unique experience because of the chance to fly the latest in commercial aviation technology, but also because ANA features little details in their in-flight service you don't find on other airlines.

For one, ANA still gives out metal utensils (stamped with the ANA logo) to first, business and economy passengers at mealtimes. For another, they have their own special non-alcoholic drink called "Aromatic Kabosu."

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In-Flight Cocktail of the Month: Delta's Pink Lemonade for Breast Cancer Awareness

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and you know that means pink things everywhere, from special edition kitchen utensils with pink grips to special pink-frosted cupcakes at your local bakery. Every year Delta gets in on the giving back by doing several things: they paint a plane pink, they allow flight attendants to wear a pink version of the red Richard Tyler uniform wrap dress, they fly employee survivors of the cancer on a hero flight, and they serve Minute Maid Pink Lemonade.

It's that lemonade we're focused on right now, as it's somewhat our in-flight cocktail of the month. For $2 (all proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation), you can grab a can of the sweet stuff on all domestic flights, most international flights, and in the Delta SkyClubs. Now for the cocktail part...

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In-Flight Cocktail of the Month: Virgin Atlantic's 'Indian Summer'

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

You can probably guess this, but the lushes at Virgin Atlantic have one of the best airline cocktails menus out there, with some 15-ish choices and and even full bars at their airport Clubhouses. If you just happen to hop the pond on Virgin, you can toast and tipple with a "New" New York Sour, but London gets to join in on the fun as well.

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In-Flight Cocktail of the Month Goes to Sea with Cunard's 'Michal's Cocktail'

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

Instead of focusing on a drink at 37,000 feet this month, August's special cocktail is firmly at sea level onboard any of Cunard's three ships: Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. It's on the QV that we first discovered Michal's Cocktail, and a conversation with Jason, the man in charge of the ship's cocktail menus, solidified our minor obsession with it.

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In-Flight Cocktail of the Month: Virgin Atlantic's "'New' New York Sour"

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

Last summer, we dubbed Virgin Atlantic's Virgin Redhead the In-Flight Cocktail of the Month for June 2010. This summer, it's about time to highlight another Virgin drink, especially since their airport lounges feature an impressive signature cocktail selection.

Therefore, for July 2011, we're in love with the "New" New York Sour, a traditional whiskey sour with a surprise: a float of claret. Served up at Virgin Atlantic clubhouses—we downed this one in the New York-JFK Airport lounge—and possibly on flights in Upper Class (ask nicely), the "New" New York Sour is served in a chilled glass with a nice foam. When ours arrived, both tables on either side of us asked after it and ended up ordering their own; it's a conversation-starter!

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In-Flight Cocktail of the Month: Air Canada's 'Iceberg Arctic Passion'

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

The other (hot) day, we drank through two tall glasses of fresh lemonade with coconut syrup and now lemonade is totally and completely on our minds for the rest of the summer. For this reason, June's In-Flight Cocktail of the Month is the Iceberg Arctic Passion on Air Canada.

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