Investment in top Bordeaux and Burgundy wines from Asian collectors is likely to continue for some time, according to one expert.

Natasha Hughes, wine writer and consultant, says that there has been significant demand for Bordeaux in Asia, and there are no signs that this will tail-off any time soon.

However, she suspects that despite economic growth in South America, it will be a long time before these countries became "real players" in the Bordeaux market.

Ms Hughes also expects the 2011 Bordeaux vintage to be lower in yield than previous years, due to changeable weather conditions in the region.

"A number of French regions have been badly hit by hail … It was very late in the year for there to be hail, especially on this scale. A lot of growers in Bordeaux have lost a lot of their crops," she concluded.

However, Bordeaux winegrowers recently expressed relief that the 2011 harvest is less spectacular than those of 2009 and 2010, as it should allow the market to stabilise.