Ayuchi Momose opened her bar to share her expertise of rice wine. She talks to Euan McKirdy.

Thailand and Hong Kong's trade and commerce relationship goes back centuries, and trade between the two is evolving, according to a Thai consulate spokesman. Given its small domestic market, Thailand is dependent on exports, which make up about two-thirds of its gross domestic product.

There are likely only a scant few Hongkongers who, office-bound on a rainy afternoon, have not daydreamed their way to the bustle of Bangkok, the culturally rich north or the idyllic palm-fringed beaches that frame the Land of Smiles.

Across the Taiwan Strait, there is a real appetite for growth, largely fuelled by the tech sector - something that is having a knock-on effect on social enterprises (SEs) that have the potential to fill the gap left by a sluggish public sector.

Sharing deep cultural and political links, Taiwan and Hong Kong are, in many ways, more closely connected than other parts of Greater China. While their relationship has often strayed into economic rivalry, the two places continue to recognise each other's importance - and hopes are high that there will be a new era of co-operation.

Preparation and a few special techniques can revive feel-good factor, writes Euan McKirdy.

Choosing the right cleanser can make a world of difference to your skin, writes Enrico Dee.

It is unlikely that the first Europeans to reach California had complex, layered and characterful pinot noirs from small, boutique wineries on their minds. But some of the early settlers' frontier spirit remains in Sonoma county, the larger, more geographically diverse wine-producing cousin of neighbouring Napa.