In last 12 to 18 months, the ever-growing Chinese middle class has developed a real taste for fine wine.

The primary beneficiary of this rise in demand from the Far East has been Bordeaux, and the five First Growths - Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau Latour and Chateau Margaux - have proven especially popular.

However, the problem with adding such a large number of new consumers to the market is that there simply is not enough fine wine to go round. Each vineyard and the wine it produces is unique and they can only make so much.

So smaller Bordeaux estates began to attract interest in the Far East, and before long the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux was announcing that 60 per cent of its exports are now heading to China and Hong Kong.

But as wine knowledge has developed in China, attention has begun to switch to that other French classic, Burgundy.

Charles Curtis MW, head of wine for Christie's in Asia, recently suggested that Burgundy is the "next big thing" in the Asian market, with leading brand Domaine de la Romanee-Conti being seen as an excellent investment opportunity, while others such as Domaine Armand Rousseau are being bought for consumption.

The latest market report from the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB) seems to back this claim.

Exports to China from the region have now reached 1.7 million bottles a year at a value of €25.4 million (£21.8 million) - a figure which is double that recorded this time in 2010.

While Japan still buys more Burgundy, the BIVB is in no doubt that this is about to change with China and Hong Kong becoming the dominant forces in the Asian wine market.

The report stated: "The People's Republic of China and Hong Kong are constantly increasing their imports of Burgundy.

"These two markets, linked by import flows, are soon to become, within a few months, Burgundy's sixth largest market in terms of value."

Growing demand from China has also come as a welcome boost for the auction houses.

Despite debt worries and a lack of business growth in large parts of the world affecting disposable income and spending power, the leading powers in this sector are announcing bumper results for 2011.

Sotheby's has so-far achieved wines sales totalling $82 million (£52 million), but with a further $3.4 million (£2.1 million) expected from its final London sale, the auction house should see positive year-on-year growth.

The story is even better over at Christie's, where the firm has raked in $77.7 million (£50 million) so far this year. This is already a rise of around ten per cent on the 2010 total, with further auctions to come in the next month.

Robin Kelley O'Connor of Christie's says that despite the bleak financial outlook, he is still very encouraged by the way people continue to spend on fine wine.

John Kapon of Acker Merrall & Condit agrees, as his company has managed to achieve sales of over $100 million (£64.3 million) so far this year, with more to come.

All three auction houses are agreed that the Asian market is now driving growth, adding that Burgundy is now the in-demand wine in the Far East.

"It's a natural progression to move from Bordeaux to Burgundy, but it's not as if they've abandoned Bordeaux. I think we will see a healthy market with a bit more cautious pricing," Jamie Ritchie of Sotheby's told Reuters.

And for any of those tempted into thinking that interest in Burgundy may be fleeting - they may want to think again.

Claude Chevallier, president of the Burgundy vintners association, has just declared the 2011 vintage as the "best of the century". When this wine finally reaches bottles, expect demand in Asia to be high.