Hong Kong wine collectors seem to think Bordeaux is becoming frayed at the borders. There are signs that wine lovers here and on the mainland are becoming sated with high-priced claret and, in some cases, concerned they have paid too much for what they have bought. Tastes are diversifying, and alternatives are being sought.
Although the organisers of next week's international wine and spirits trade show, Vinexpo Asia-Pacific, are based in Bordeaux, and the show has a certain regional bias, there is likely to be more interest in high-quality wines from other regions.
Following a long run of world-record prices paid for first growth Bordeaux at Hong Kong auctions, some offerings have failed to make their reserves at recent sales.
The spotlight has shifted to Burgundy. Even so, that region's production of the grand cru and premier cru wines so coveted by local collectors - such as Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Henri Jayer, Domaine Leflaive - is a fraction of that of Bordeaux.
Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, for example, produces only about 450 cases per year compared with Chateau Lafite Rothschild's 15,000 to 20,000 - so there simply isn't enough supply for the burgeoning demand.
So, what's the next big thing? Which regions can offer wines of equivalent quality to classified Bordeaux and have comparable potential to appreciate in value over time?