Airport wine tasting & retail

Layovers at Washington Dulles, Seattle-Tacoma and Sacramento airports just got more sophisticated. Vino Volo, a play on the Italian words for “wine flight,” offers weary passengers an escape from the chaotic food courts and loud bars that are all too familiar at major airports. At Vino Volo, customers can sample wines either by the glass or in tasting flights. Plates of cheese, cured meats, salmon rolls and other gourmet fare complement the flavours of the wine in a relaxed, upscale atmosphere. The experience doesn’t have to end when a flight begins boarding: wines are available for purchase by the bottle and can be shipped to a customer’s home (subject to state law). Plans are in the works to expand to 10-12 additional airports this year, starting with JFK and Baltimore. The early success of Vino Volo goes to show that airline passengers are indeed willing to indulge on a little luxury as they await their flights – even if they may have pinched pennies on their airfare. For more ‘being spaces’ for travellers, see trendwatching.com’s briefing on transumers. Examples include airport spas and gyms.