Column - Robert Joseph

South Florida’s Gold Coast – the sun-splashed, resort-laced stretch from Miami to the Palm Beaches – has long drawn domestic and foreign visitors as one of the US’s leading leisure destinations. Foreign financial influence is on the rise, and Miami alone is expecting $16bn of this year’s whopping $23bn tourism-related dollars to come from outside the country — influence that can be seen on area wine lists.

Miami wine professionals see it as a natural reflection of their worldwide clientele. Sébastien Verrier, head sommelier at the five-star St Regis Bal Harbour Resort, has seen the shift first-hand over his 15 years in Miami, remarking how wine lists that were once 65% American are now 65% foreign, with European wine representing the bulk of this.

It’s no surprise that weather is another major factor in a wine’s popularity. South Florida’s tropical climate and resort-like atmosphere offers a lot of time in chaise lounges and open-air restaurants. So what exactly is the result of these influences? Scott Saunders asked three professionals to give their account of what’s happening at some of the area’s most renowned resorts.

Azerbaijan, on the Caspian Sea, is rich in oil and natural gas, as well as agriculture. Eugene Gerden reports on government plans to add high-value wine production to the economy.

Argentina’s wine sector has experienced crisis after crisis, being hit by the country’s macro-economic conditions. As inflation is slowly brought under control, the most recent crisis is receding. Daniel López Roca explains.

How soon is too soon for producers to start declaring an appellation? Richard Woodard looks at a dispute over plans to introduce a separate PDO for English sparkling wines.

Column - Robert Joseph

What steps can a family take to ensure that their business remains strong into the future? Felicity Carter speaks to Professor John A. Davis from the Harvard Business School.

The wine lists of highly trafficked New York City and Southern California are obvious enviable places to be, but in the US it is actually the residents of New England who have the greatest thirst for wine. Ever-improving access to wine education and an expansion of sales and distribution methods are ensuring this demand is met with creativity and from fresh sources. Four influential New England wine professionals weigh in on what’s new.

Russian winemakers have a lot to deal with, from unfair laws to foreign competition. And now, says Sophie Kevany reporting from a recent Russian wine conference, they are worried about new competition from Crimea.

When Melissa King was sent to prison for defrauding a pension fund, the US Marshals were charged with selling her ill-gotten gains, to try and recoup some money for her victims. Leslie Gevirtz reports on what happened to the wine.

Held in Amsterdam in late November, the sixth World Bulk Wine Exhibition attracted more than 250 producers from 19 countries, with an increased attendance of 30%, according to organisers. Felicity Carter took a look.

Column - Robert Joseph 

Every September a number of Bordeaux’s specialised wine merchants, known as négociants, turn their attention, and that of their distribution system – known collectively as the ‘Place de Bordeaux’ – to the sale of six ‘non-Bordeaux’ fine wines from Chile, California, Tuscany and the Rhône Valley. The sale of the wines provides a neat boost to the coffers in what might normally be a fairly quiet time of year, and itʼs an international endorsement of their distribution method – one which locals have been known to criticise. Sophie Kevany asks four influential people in the fine wine business for their opinion on the event.

Many investment classes rely on leading indicators – a measurable factor that can be used to predict economic changes. Does one exist for the fine wine market? Sophie Kevany goes searching.