(Koreatimes) - The Korean love affair with wines has fluctuated wildly between highs and lows in recent years. Distributors now hope that the effects of relaxed retail regulations and free trade pacts with wine-making nations will put the relationship on firmer ground by making them more affordable. Wine consumption appeared to be hitting new peaks when Lehman Brothers collapsed, triggering a full-blown economic crisis, which forced wine lovers here to reign in their budgets. But there is a renewed sense of vibrancy in the wine market as Korea’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States is poised to take hold.