AS IN haute couture, fashion has a big role to play in the world of wine. Currently in style is Burgundy, almost ad nauseam! Demand appears to be insatiable at the moment, coming from all quarters, notably from mainland China. Names bandied around are the likes of Romanee Conti, La Tache, and Montrachet, DRC of course. Not a single First Growth Bordeaux is mentioned. The result, in a market where demand far outstrips supply, is predictable.

Prices are rocketing, with supply rated in single bottle lots! To illustrate, Romanee Conti 1990 is expected to command an auction price of HK$150,000 for ONE bottle. Mind-blowing. That is approximately S$25,000 at current exchange rates. One glass of this will cost S$3,125 (eight glasses per 750ml bottle.) You could buy a bottle of Lafite for the price of one glass of Romanee-Conti 1990. These statistics put the current prices into understandable perspective.

For the modest wine-lover, Burgundy (at the top end) is an out-of-reach luxury. What's the recourse? Bordeaux, tous jours Bordeaux - the first love for most wine lovers. Bearing this in mind, and to eke out my precious little store of Burgundy, I went back to Bordeaux recently and was very pleased to find that Bordeaux still provides great enjoyment and satisfaction.