May, 30, 2011 Hong Kong sale sets rare wines records

New auction records for rare wines have been set in Hong Kong, after three lots -- including the rare Romanée-Conti -- were sold over the weekend, auctioneer Acker Merrall & Condit said. Two cases of the highly sought-after 1988 DRC Romanée-Conti in pristine condition were sold for $106,359 each a...

May, 30, 2011 AUS: First the buffs then the bluffs: a worrying trend for domestic wine producers

At a recent shindig for elite restaurateurs and niche wine merchants at the Australian Museum there were two rooms: one showcasing domestic labels, the other, imported stuff. The imports room was buzzing. The event hosts Vinous Solutions, Enoteca and Vintage & Vine, like other wine merchants, are...

May, 30, 2011 Are wine, beer vegan? Vegetarian? Answer is complicated

It's not easy, living vegan or vegetarian. But at least you can have a drink with dinner, right? After all, wine is grapes. Beer is grain. Liquor is grain or potatoes and such. All vegan. Right? Not so fast. Don't forget that wine, when first fermented, can be a bit cloudy from tiny susp...

May, 29, 2011 NZ: Wine industry collaboration 'will crack Chinese market'

New Zealand's wine industry must mount a joint effort if it is to crack the Chinese market, an Australian consultant has told wine exporters. Frank Gibson, an experienced adviser to businesses entering China, told an Auckland workshop that New Zealand wine had enormous prospects. "This is one ...

May, 29, 2011 France: Fine wine goes well with a balanced portfolio – but it's getting scarce

The two-story country house, modest compared with the other chateau of the area, sits proudly underneath a perfect wide blue sky, surrounded by neatly trimmed vines festooned with lush red roses which would be any horticulturalists dream. I am in Bordeaux, the spiritual home not just of French bu...

May, 29, 2011 Internet Gives Wine Auctions New Wrinkle

HONG KONG — Wine, around since the Stone Age, is now slowly catching up with the Digital Age.In recent years, a number of famous auction houses, including Sotheby’s and Christie’s, have been experimenting with online bidding during their live sales of brands like Château Lafite Rothschild and...

May, 28, 2011 The Box Wine Short Course

Stereotypes exist for a reason. Mainly, they are rooted in some level of truthiness: However, here’s a bit of stereotypical truthiness that is no longer valid. Box wines don’t suck. In fact, these days, depending on where you look in the wine aisle, much of the box wine in the U.S. is quite ...

May, 28, 2011 Lactose, Lactic acid, Lactase, or the Lac(k) Thereof (and why wine is still okay)

Some time ago, an inquisitive mind inquired of me as to whether being lactose intolerant could affect the sufferer’s tolerance of wine that has undergone malolactic fermentation. Fair question. “Lactose” and “lactic” are obviously related, and thinking about an intolerance to the “lactic...