Both are big, bold wines with generous lashings of ripe fruit and oak. I find it difficult to imagine the seven-foot-six-inch Yao in his vineyard, pruning away - maybe the vines have been raised on enormous trellises …

While these ultra-premium wines are out of reach for ordinary Chinese citizens, Yao - the first Chinese celebrity to put his name on a wine brand - is creating a mid-market wine aimed at China's emerging middle class. Napa Crest, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot, will cost about 550 yuan a bottle.

With the help of Rhone Valley producers Famille Perrin, our favourite movie star couple, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, produced a rosé from Provence last year called Miraval. They made 6,000 bottles, which sold out within a day of going on sale online. Wine has always been made at Chateau Miraval, but it was never this popular.

My favourite quote about wine comes from Sam Neill, star of He was one of the first to plant vines (mostly pinot noir) in Central Otago, New Zealand, in 1993. His initial vintage was made in 1997 and he is still actively involved in his Two Paddocks vineyard.

The inspiration for his career tangent came from his father, who, after serving 20 years in the British army, became a wine merchant. Today, Neill primarily produces pinot noirs (ranging from Picnic, for every-day drinking, to the single-vineyard First Paddock). He also makes a small amount of riesling, which he planted purely for his wife, who one day declared she would no longer drink red wine. And that quote from Neill? "I like making wines everyday because I drink wine everyday."

Spoken like a true aficionado.