Virgin Atlantic is marking English wine week by flying an English Bacchus in Upper Class across its network

Virgin 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 and 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 Yotes Court proved to be a perfect fit. Their Bacchus, called ‘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.”