Food and Wine Pairings
- Nov 7
- 5 min read
Olivier Poussier, named Best Sommelier of France in 1990 and Best Sommelier of the World in 2000, has been the consulting sommelier for Air Tahiti Nui since 2017. He is responsible for selecting wines for the business class, following a philosophy he shared with Reva Tahiti during his last visit to Papeete in May 2025. An Exclusive Interview with Olivier Poussier.
Interview : Agence Smile - Photos : Doris Ramseyer
How do you choose the wines served onboard and those featured during this special Club Tiare dinner at the Hilton Tahiti?
Beyond meeting guest expectations—which are of course very important—I rely on my experience to select wines that will be most expressive in an airplane environment. When you’re in the air, in a pressurized cabin, there are certain sensory modifications: about 25% of a wine’s aromatic potential is lost. Even though today, aboard the Tahitian Dreamliners, there’s less noise, a less disruptive sound background, and a more comfortable atmosphere than before, pressurization remains, and wines respond differently to altitude, altering the way they’re perceived.
Take bubbles, for instance: at altitude, their appearance and effervescence change. They become much coarser, thicker, and more aggressive than on the ground, regardless of the champagne’s quality or classification.
It’s also important to understand that altitude affects structured, tannic wines. Tannins become more prominent in-flight. The red wines I select are characterized by roundness, softness, and a velvety texture. In the air, they may seem slightly more fragmented than on the ground, but they retain their essential traits. On the other hand, I avoid choosing wines with a heavy tannic structure at sea level, because I know their impact will be amplified at altitude.
With whites, it’s different. They have less tannic structure and aren’t affected in the same way. However, they do suffer a loss in aromatic intensity when flying. So I look for wines with an already open aromatic profile—wines that are easy to read, not ones still in a reductive phase.
Passengers, for their part, enjoy seeing familiar wines with recognizable appellations. As a sommelier, I have to keep that in mind, but I also have a role as a guide. A sommelier must bring a personal touch. That’s what we’ve tried to achieve through Air Tahiti Nui’s annual wine list—the tender—which features both French and international wines that reflect the evolution of the global wine landscape, particularly in terms of pricing for some regions. This is a factor I must take into account, as I am expected to adhere to specific guidelines. We have a strong budget at Air Tahiti Nui—much better than at many other international airlines. Still, with the rising cost of certain appellations, we have to make choices that are both high in quality and appealing to passengers, while still aligning with an economic framework.
What guides your selections today: market trends, the originality of the wines you choose, pairing with onboard menus, or above all their resilience—their ability to adapt to being consumed at 30,000 feet?
It’s a combination of all those factors. Pairing food and wine onboard is challenging. For one thing, the menus change every quarter, while the wine list is updated only once a year. And meals vary depending on the route, whereas the wine list remains the same on all flights. That makes it difficult to craft precise pairings.
Actually, it’s the structure of the wine list itself that must address this issue. Our selections are built around wines with different textures: a light, fruit-forward red; a full-bodied, powerful red; a white with mineral tension and acidity; a rosé or a rich, round white.
With our rotating “favorites,” we often choose a white that contrasts with the one featured year-round, so passengers have a variety of complementary options. That way, they can lean toward a wine that’s crisp, bright, and high in acidity—or one that’s more opulent and rich.
As for reds, we include an easy-drinking, approachable wine with no harsh edges, alongside a red that has more body and a bolder, more vinous character.
That’s how our wine list is designed: to showcase a diversity of profiles that give travelers, with a bit of guidance, the opportunity to select the most suitable option.
A good wine often becomes a lasting memory. Have you ever heard of passengers reaching out to a winery after discovering one of their wines on an ATN flight?
Quite often. It must be said that Air Tahiti Nui’s wine selection is not only very attractive, but also well showcased—thanks to the onboard wine list and the tasting notes that highlight both the wines and their regions of origin. That draws attention.
In fact, the in-flight tasting becomes something of a “peaceful judgment.” Many Polynesian travelers flying in Poerava business class look to find those wines again once back in Tahiti, which is possible when they’re available through local importers. I believe travelers really recognize the added value and relevance of a well-designed wine list—one that includes classic, well-known wines alongside others that invite discovery.
How did you work with the Hilton Tahiti culinary team? Did the dish selection start with the wines? Did you suggest specific pairings?
The team worked from the wines we presented to them. On my end, I suggested some main ingredients to guide them. For example: “Here we have the 2023 Pouilly-Fumé from Domaine Denizot. It’s a Sauvignon Blanc grown on flint and limestone soils, with aromas of dill, fennel, citrus, and lemon zest…” So the chef prepared a yuzu-seasoned fish tartare.
Then we had a soft and supple Bordeaux—La Dame de Malescot, made with 35% Merlot, which brings roundness and finesse. It’s a 2021 vintage, a cool year with low alcohol and an Atlantic influence. That led us to a red wine and fish pairing: a tataki-style tuna steak garnished with sesame seeds, buckwheat, and a touch of soyu. The dish was finished with a light glaze of concentrated red wine sauce.
For the cheese course, a young pressed cow’s milk cheese like Comté was matched with a Mâcon-Villages white—because cheese can absolutely pair with white wine too.
Finally, for dessert, with the Jurançon, we worked around exotic fruit. I told them: “Do whatever you like using pineapple, mango, passion fruit, or papaya...” Once those few guidelines were given—just enough direction—the chef took the lead. He later sent me the menus, we adjusted a few details if needed, and it was ready.
Is the ultimate goal to showcase the wines, or to strike a perfect balance between food and wine tasting?
I believe a successful menu is one where both the cuisine and the wines are appreciated equally. If one overshadows the other—whether it’s the food or the wine—it’s not ideal. A truly memorable dinner is one where both elements are in harmony, in total synergy.
One of the main challenges we faced here was serving temperature. In tropical climates, wines warm up quickly. You have to control that by placing bottles in cold water with a generous amount of ice, and only taking them out at the last moment. If served too cold, the tannins become harsh. That’s the paradox in places like Tahiti, La Réunion, and other regions with similar climates: it’s hot, and the wines we crave should be refreshing and thirst-quenching.
There’s simply more room for light, easy-drinking wines than for highly concentrated ones. That said, some Tahitians do enjoy great wines, prestigious labels, and bottles meant for aging. In those cases, managing temperature becomes even more critical. It’s the trickiest part, really.
But regardless of the constraints, creating a new wine list, presenting our approach to travelers, and showing that this is the result of thoughtful selection—not something pulled out of a hat—is always incredibly rewarding. I truly enjoy it every time.
* Editor’s note: the year-round wine list available onboard. This new wine list will be available onboard Air Tahiti Nui’s Tahitian Dreamliners starting in early 2026.
