A British mountaineer hopes to return a touch of class to adventuring by enjoying a glass of fine wine at the top of Mount Everest.

Alan Hinkes claims to be the first Englishman to have scaled all the so-called Eight-thousanders - mountains with elevations greater than 8,000 metres – and is performing the feat to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society, the Wall Street Journal reports.

While he has not yet specified whether he'll take a Chateau Mouton Rothschild or Margaux to the top, the mountaineer confirmed the wine will be French and enjoyed with parmesan and prosciutto ham.

"I'm not intending to get drunk, but there's nothing wrong with a glass of wine on a night," he told the publication.

"We can mull it, warm it and it's quite good for morale and nourishment."

Mr Hinkes went on to say that his love for wine began on an expedition to Argentina's Mendoza region, where he discovered the Malbec grape variety.