The Bordeaux wine region covers an expansive area of 120,000 hectares, making it the second biggest wine region in the world. The diversity of its soils, its mix of climates and combinations of grape varieties allows Bordeaux to produce a variety of different wines including dry and sweet white, red, rosé, claret and sparkling wines. […]

We all know that the Chinese wine market has boomed over the last few years, but recently there has been rumours abounding that demand has been decreasing after the boom of 2009-11. Let’s investigate the data. According to International Wine and Spirit Research (IWSR), the Chinese drank 160 million cases of wine in 2011, a […]

Robert Parker released his scores for the Bordeaux 2010 vintage this weekend. 10 wines were awarded a perfect score of 100 points: Latour Haut-Brion Petrus Le Dome La Violette  Pontet Canet  Beausejour Duffau Cheval Blanc  Pape Clement Le Pin   In addition to this high count of 100-point wines, eight more scored an impressive 99 […]

After a series of high-profile wine auctions, we examine the current state of the market in this in-depth report. Italian Wines on the UpOn 23 February Acker, Merrall and Condit saw substantial interest in Italian vertical lots. These included a four magnum collection of Bartolo Mascarello Barolo made up of 1952, 71, 86 and 88 […]

Who will be the next China? That’s the question on everyone’s lips as we enter 2013. The front-runners are India, Brazil and Russia. But as well as the BRIC nations, there are other dark horses that may feature in the global market. BrazilNow that protectionist regulations have been staved off and Brazilian wine producers have […]

Rhône wines to be the next boom in Asia? A Hong Kong auction at Sotheby’s last weekend may have signified a further string to the Asian fine wine market’s bow being added as Rhône Valley wines fared very well. On December 8 the auction’s highlights included a 1961 Hermitage La Chapelle from Rhône, which sold […]

After three long years of waiting for a name, the Bordeaux wine cultural centre finally has one: the City of Civilisations Wine (Cite des Civilisations de Vin).     The centre’s budget is 63 million euros and is due to open in 2015. Project manager Philippe Massol has reported that construction will take place by April 2013 with an […]

EU wine regions lobby against vineyard extension plans The European Commission (EC) expects to see a freeing up of planning rights across European vineyards starting in January 2016. This could completely change the landscape of the European wine industry.  So far 15 EU countries – including France, Italy, Spain and Portugal – have formally objected to […]

Here at Capital Vintners we like to keep as up to date as possible on movements in the global fine wine market. China is currently importing a significant amount of Bordeaux wine. No longer are the Chinese only buying the top wines; they have started to diversity their portfolios, further increasing imports and diversifying Chinese […]

The London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-ex) hit a new record this week in terms of active markets. There are now more than 3000 separate wines with a bid or offer against them on the exchange, a 50 per cent rise since June. Buyers are clearly starting to diversify their portfolios. Burgundies are booming this year […]

The Brazilian Wine Institute and the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets want to double the total consumption of fine wine in the next four years to forty million litres. The Brazilian government has ignored calls to put quotas on imported wine and allowed a more worldwide wine market to thrive in the country.  The BRIC – […]

Capital Vintners has learned that the Government will spend close to half a million pounds on fine wine not widely available on the high street. It has been suggested that MPs are looking for rarer fine wines to stock bars in the House of Commons.   After the ‘plebgate’ row with Andrew Mitchell last month, the […]

Bloomberg has reported today that global wine production is due to fall to its lowest levels in 37 years. Terrible weather across the globe has created the worst wine harvest in decades. France, Italy and Argentina  in particular have witnessed a year of drought, flooding and hail. Seeing as France and Italy are the largest […]

A couple of fantastic Robert Parker-endorsed Bordeaux 2009 wines are making a splash right now. Here at Capital Vintners we know that Bordeaux wines are always a great investment opportunity, with two wines in particular proving to be successful right now. The Chateau Angelus 2009 and the Chateau Cos D’Estournel 2009 both featured in Robert […]

Another Chinese-owned negociant is set to open in Bordeaux next month as the Asian wine market continues to make a mark on the French region. Chinese businessman Jinshan Zhang is responsible for the exciting new venture. The first Chinese-owned negociant in Bordeaux opened in 2008 and employs seven people, including three Chinese speakers. The new […]

Capital Vintners can report that a brand new event for the wine trade will be launched in London next September. The idea is to create a hive of business activity, where like-minded professionals can come together and conduct meetings and seminars. UK agents, producers from all around the world, and distributors will be able to […]

Christie’s have reported that Burgundies are performing incredibly well right now. In particular Domaine de la Romanee-Conti has performed well. Although Bordeaux wines are still top dog, Burgundies are gaining notoriety in the market, especially Asia. Capital Vintners not only offers a wide collection of fine wines, but also the very best Burgundies: http://www.capitalvintners.com/wines/8/burgundy As production […]

Chateau Margaux (Megan Mallen) Chateau Margaux has hired Fangyuan Zheng, a business development manager, in Shanghai to overlook the Bordeaux producer’s sales across the region. The esteemed French wine producer is building on its brand and relationships in China – Thibault Pontallier was appointed Margaux’s brand ambassador in Hong Kong in 2010 – in order […]

Capital Vintners’ warehouse at Locke King, full of  fine wines  It has been reported today that the world is facing a shortage of 1.3 billion bottles of wine this year, mainly due to the erratic weather across Europe.  According to Bloomberg, the production slumps in France, Italy and Spain have led to worldwide shortage. And […]

Chateau Margaux (Megan Mallen) Renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster has been hired to revamp Chateau Margaux.  The renovation will include an underground bottle library for past vintages and a new vinification cellar, where reds and whites will be able to be vinified in the same part of the estate for the first time since […]

Capital Vintners is excited to hear that four Michelin-starred chefs and Arnaud Christiaens, a French hedge fund manager and oenophile, have joined forces to create a new wine brand from four different Bordeaux appellations. The chefs – Bruno Menard, Frederic Anton, Alain Dutournier and Yannick Alleno – have been working with Gerard Basset, a World […]

China is due to become the world’s second largest market for luxury goods in the space of five years. Luxury goods sales could reach $302 billion worldwide this year, up four per cent from 2011.  Fine wine, especially Bordeaux wine, dominates the luxury goods landscape. Most of the large UK merchants report between a third […]

  Bad weather across Europe has led to a terrible harvest this year, with wine experts expecting a 20 per cent drop in the grape harvest in France compared to last year. The Champagne and Burgundy regions have been hit particularly badly, with the Chardonnay grape being affected more than most by the inclement weather. […]