I guess everyone has to eat, even in a recession. When the light appears at the end of the tunnel, though, appetites get bigger ... and more discriminating. In London, upscale eateries are seeing the investment banking crowd come back, and the wine is once again flowing. The cities top chefs are still worried about what will happen after Christmas, but for now, they're happy to see their creations gobbled up by the city's financial sector.

Marcus Wareing has had what he calls "a fabulous year." The waiting list keeps getting longer, and he says, "There's a good vibe." Tristan Welch's Launceston Place is seeing more wine flow, and demand is picking up. Pearl's Jun Tanaka remains cautious, "We'll really know in the first quarter 2010 if business has returned ... I don't know if it's a trend or a hiccup."

Across the city, there's a mix of optimism and trepidation. Le Gavroche, Wahaca and Le Café Anglais, for example, offer some variation of "Business is good" or "Business is booming, and Gordon Ramsay tells Bloomberg News, "There's an increasing air of confidence, which has been particularly apparent since the beginning of September." Michelle McGuire of The Palm said the restaurant had its busiest week three weeks ago since its opening in May, "with record takings." Sam Hart, of Fino, Barrafino and Quo Vadis, on the other hand, calls the improvement "fragile."

Nonetheless, this is a far cry from the angst that characterized the fine dining world a year ago. When people start to eat well, you know that things are turning for the better.

As wine collections increase in value, collectors should consider insuring a valuable collection. According to the experts at Fireman's Fund Insurance Company's Wine Collector Management Services, here are a few things to keep in mind before buying a policy (or renewing or amending one you already have).

Insure your collection separately if it is valuable
As a consumable that appreciates in value as it ages, wine is a unique asset. If your collection has great value, it should probably be insured separately from your general homeowners' insurance policy. If not, you may run the risk that it is under-insured. The average bottle cost in a wine cellar is often $100 or more; individual bottles can easily reach $700 to $1,000 for top wines. A cellar that contains, say, 500 to 1,000 bottles, can be worth between $50,000 and $100,000. Values can easily climb into the millions for larger collections.

Choose blanket coverage or itemized coverage, or a combination of the two
With blanket coverage, your entire collection is covered under one limit, with a single bottle limit of up to $50,000 (with a Fireman's Fund policy). Itemized coverage is recommended for wines valued at $10,000 or more and can be combined with blanket coverage to provide the best protection for your collection. There should be no deductibles on standard policies.

If you buy insurance, be sure it covers all risks
Buy coverage that spans a wide spectrum of causes of loss including fire and theft breakage, flood, and a range of others. You will also need coverage for loss due to power outage or mechanical breakdown of heating, cooling and humidity control equipment, all of which are critical coverages for oenophiles.

Don't transport your wine without checking with your insurer first
Before you transport your wine, ask your agent or insurer if this is a covered risk by your insurance policy. Be certain your wine is protected worldwide and while in transit.

Wine collections are growing, and so are their value, in many cases. Indeed, based on the results of a recent Sotheby's wine auction, held in Hong Kong in early October, the prices of collectible wines are breaking records.

One imperial (six litres) of Château Pétrus 1982 realized a world auction record price of $93,077, while a case (12 bottles) of Château Pétrus 2000 sold for $55,846. Three bottles of a 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, a winery in Oakville, California, sold for $27,923.

If you have a wine collection, or if you are thinking of building one, here's how to care for your collection, according to the experts at Fireman's Fund Insurance Company's Wine Collector Management Services.

Keep an eye on your climate control
A temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of 60% to 65% are ideal for long term wine storage. The cool temperature slows the aging process, while the humidity prevents moisture inside the wine bottle from moving into the cork and eventually evaporating into the air. Keep in mind that ideal temperatures do vary somewhat depending on the type of wine you are storing. Attics and garages are not ideal places to store wine, as temperatures can fluctuate greatly in these locations.

Limit your collection's exposure to light sources
A dark room is best for wine storage. Fluorescent light is not believed to be harmful.

Wines should be kept in a stable environment
Vibration is harmful to wine, as it disturbs the sediment. Keep the bottles in a horizontal position.

Back up your power supply
Your wine collection could be at risk during a sustained power outage. A permanent back-up generator will help protect your investment.

Consider renting a storage space
If you lack adequate space to store your collection, professional wine storage facilities are available in most major cities.

Vinfolio Marketplace is set to go live on July 1, 2009, solving a problem with which many wine collectors struggle. This online platform was designed to make it easier for collectors to put their bottles up for sale, creating a more fluid marketplace for this, um, fluid. Founder Aaron DeMello believes it could become the world's primary spot market for wine.

Currently, the wine sales platform has a virtual inventory – thanks to participants – of nearly 12 million bottles, with a value of approximately $2 billion. Most participants are located in North America. The market inventory will be supplied by more than 53,000 private wine cellars.

DeMello's goal is to create a place where buyers and sellers can come together easily to complete their transactions. The ancillary effect, of course, would be the real-time valuation of different wines, as you see in securities and commodities markets.

One client is putting up a third of the take at the Christie's wine auction this weekend. A total of 613 lots are available, with one party accounting for than 200 of them. This seller is described only as a "wealthy New York family" (duh). For collectors, according to the auction house's spin, this is a great time to buy. Prices are falling, which means that there are plenty of bargains out there.

Apparently, there's some wisdom to this perspective. At the Sotheby's auction last weekend, bidders dropped more than $2.9 million on vino, thrashing a pre-auction estimate of only $1.8 million to $2.6 million. New buyers are coming into the market. At the Sotheby's auction, more than 20 percent of the bidders were new. Two weeks before that, Hart Davis Hart, of Chicago, moved nearly $2.7 million of liquid bliss, beating its presale mark of $2.4 million.

In a Reuters interview, wine consultant Judy Beardsall likens wine collecting and investing to gardening, "At a time like this, it's a chance to turn over the soil in the garden, put down some stock for the next generation."

But, if you aren't interested in waiting, all the wines put up for auction are fit for consumption ... for a price.

The latest branded wine takes its inspiration from the Food Network show Iron Chef. The first offering from Iron Chef Wines is four wines: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot and Chianti. A rudimentary website offers more details on each of the four Italian wines indicating aging, production area, color, bouquet, ideal glass and serving temperature. The wines should be available in the U.S. within the next few weeks.

[via Wine Spirits Daily]

Right on time for holiday giving, Playboy has come out with a line of wines. The wines are available by bottle or by a yearly subscription for $1,567 and include a limited run of up to 550 bottles per series; vineyards include Gargiulo Money Road Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Supery's famed Dollarhide Cabernet Sauvignon, Schug Estate Heritage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, RODA Cirsiron and Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno. And of course, since it's Playboy, each wine is labeled with a vintage Playboy cover which represents the flavor and taste profile of each wine.

The wines are available online but will also be sold at wine retailers in the United States. The wines will retail individually at $90 to $380 a bottle. Check out the first offerings in the gallery below.

[via Avenue Vine]

CLIF Bar & Company, mostly known for organic and healthful CLIF bars and LUNA bars, is now in the wine business too. Based in Napa Valley their aim is to make high quality wines that remind people to slow down and enjoy life in a way that respects the earth. Sarah Gott joined their team last year as the resident winemaker, and all of their wines are sourced from Napa Valley and the North Coast with an eye towards organic and sustainable farming practices. Prices range from $12.50-$35.

Fairtrade wines are becoming more and more popular, which means they're getting better and better. There are 30 Fairtrade certified wineries worldwide in South Africa, Argentina, and Chile, with the majority of their product shipping to the UK. Fairtrade wines have had a rough start as far as quality is concerned, but in recent years have been making leaps and bounds to gain a better reputation. Whether you're looking to try Fairtrade wines for the first time or are a seasoned connoisseur there are all kinds of good options out there.

Former Motown Records CEO Kedar Massenburg, now behind Kedar Entertainment, has a new project, selling a line of wine to African-American consumers. The K'orus wines are French wines and Massenburg held a launch party at Mr. Chow's in Beverly Hills that drew celebs such as Stevie Wonder, Brett Ratner and Vivica Fox. So far K'orus has bottled a Merlot, a Chardonnay, and a Cabernet Sauvignon that sell for around $12.99 each. The company planes to also release a Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, and Champagne in 2008. The wine website includes information on pairings and is designed to make wine knowledge more accessible. It's a neat idea but why not partner with an African-American winemaker instead of French winemaker? The Association of African American Vintners would be a good place to start.

[via The Tasting Panel]

Valentine's Day gives me license to indulge in my taste for sweet wines and wines which have a more voluptuous feel. What makes a wine romantic? It can be sugar, it can be color, it can be notes of flowers or chocolate, it can be a name that references love. Personally, I think all good wine is a bit romantic but there are some wines that just speak to the heart more than others.

My top choice is the Inniskill 2004 Cabernet Franc Ice Wine
Red ice wine? Oh yes and it's amazing. It combines the raisiny qualities of a Port with the lightness of an ice wine. It's full of the taste of ripe berries but with an undercurrent of spice and the flower of warm heat in your belly that makes dessert wine so seductive. The wine is also a perfectly lovely red. It sells for around $85.

A study done for VINEXPO by the International Wine and Spirit Record on wine and spirits sales tracked sales and consumption trends all over the world. It found that the US is in a position to become the leading consumer of wine in the world by 2010, with red wine accounting for more than half of what will be a $23 billion market. Worldwide, wine consumption is expected to increase by 266 million bottles every year until 2010!

Spirits are encountering considerable growth, as well, with tequila, cognac and vodka sales all increasing in the US. Vodka is currently the most consumed spirit in the US, but is expected to eventually account for more than 25% of all spirits consumed. Worldwide, spirit consumption is increasing by roughly 1.3% per year, with drops only in gin, while whisky, rum and tequila are taking off in many other countries.

Inspired by original designs from the 18th century, designer and vintner Sandra Jordan has recreated a traditional wine decanting tool with her Healdsburg Funnel. The funnel is silver-plated and contains a removable strainer to filter out any wayward bits of cork before they reach the glass as you pour out of the angled tip. It sits on a tastevin base, which not only serves to catch drips when the funnel is removed from the wine bottle and set to rest, but was once used by sommeliers for tasting and observing the quality of the wines. Price: $225.

The award-winning Gravitas Estate Vineyard in Marlborough, New Zealand, is now on the market. Even though its grape production is skyrocketing (almost doubling in 12 months) and many of the wines that they produce are multiple medal winners, the owners, Martyn and Pam Nicholls, are looking to focus on a new truffle-growing project in Perth, Aus. The sale includes 40 hectares of land, only half of which is currently planted with grapes, two houses, barns and a horse training area. It also includes a 50-meter underground barrel hall and a partially completed cafe/tasting room site for visitors. All trademarks, wine stocks and equipment are included - making this a really fantastic prospect for an individual or company that was looking to get into the wine business. The label is sold in 33 countries and produces over 20,000 cases a year, with production projected to reach 60,000 in the next two years .

We will probably never run out of ways to aerate our wine as designers and vintners are always coming up with newer, more elegant and more efficient ways to do it. Vinturi bills itself as the essential wine aerator, designed with science in mind and not necessarily style, though it certainly doesn't lack in that department, either. You should get a better bouquet, enhanced flavors and smoother finish by using the Vinturi, especially when compared to simply uncorking the wine and allowing it to breathe in the bottle. The Vinturi is $35 and would make a great last minute gift for a wine lover.