Francis Ford Coppola added a touch of Hollywood to the galaxy of wine stars who appeared at the Wine Future 2011 conference this month in Hong Kong. Other visiting grape luminaries included Robert Parker (see cover story, page six), Jancis Robinson and Gary Vaynerchuk.
Mostly aimed at the trade, the three-day event also provided tips for individual wine lovers and collectors as experts discussed issues such as fine wines, social media and education. It wouldn't have been a wine event without tastings, and these involved 45 sommeliers, 20,000 glasses and 1,000 spittoons.
What can consumers take away from these weighty considerations?
Wine critics Steven Spurrier and Michel Bettane both identified the birthplace of wine in the Black Sea region as having the most potential for future new sites of production. Georgia and Ukraine are the countries to watch.
Parker pointed to Spain as the 'great awakening giant', where many exciting changes are taking place. The sparkling wine, cava, is 'getting better and better'. Parker also said neighbouring Portugal has great potential.
In a session on newly emerging wine styles, master of wine Robinson said wine lovers should keep an eye on China. Grace Vineyard in Shanxi has established itself on the wine lists of top hotels, and wines such as Domaine Helan Mountain and Silver Heights are receiving critical acclaim. Helan Qing Xue's Jia Bei Lan 2009 just won a Decanter international trophy. Luxury brand owner LVMH is set to produce sparkling wine in Ningxia, an autonomous region in the northwest seen as having potential.