It’s always nice to see people spending their money on good wine, but the announcement of a half-billion dollar investment in Emirates Airline’s wine program is mind-boggling.

The airline announced this week that it had spent $500 million on “a long-term investment, with the aim of procuring the best vintages up to a decade before they are ready to be consumed”. The wine program has seen Emirates amass more than 1.2 million bottles in its Burgundy cellar, some of which won’t be ready for a decade.

The airline serves some mouthwatering wines for its first-class passengers, such as the 2003 Dom Pérignon Rosé on its A380 service between San Francisco and Houston, but the core of its collection is biased towards Bordeaux.

It has various vintages of heavyweight châteaux such as Margaux, Lafite, Latour, Mouton Rothschild and Haut-Brion.

“Our wine lists consistently showcase classic French wine, in particular those that are made for pairing with food,” airline president Sir Tim Clark said.